"40 Days of Love" in American Sign LanguageSample

Love Always Trusts
By Rick Warren

“The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” (Galatians 5:6 NIV)

Lasting love doesn’t just extend grace; it expresses faith. Faith and love are intertwined because love is built on trust. It says, “I believe in you. I trust you. I have confidence in you.”

You cannot love someone you don’t trust. So if you’re going to love somebody, you have to not only extend him grace; you have to express faith. The Bible says, “Love ... never stops believing” (1 Corinthians 13:7b GW). The New International Version says love “always trusts.” The New Living Translation says love “never loses faith.”

To be trusted is the greatest gift you can give somebody. When I was just 25 years old and living in Fort Worth, Texas, God put this crazy idea in my mind. I told Kay, “Honey, I think God wants us to move to Southern California and start a church. Here’s the problem: We don’t have any money, we don’t have any members, we don’t have any buildings, we don’t have any sponsors, I don’t know anybody in this city, and I’ve never been a senior pastor before. What do you think?”

I’ll never forget what my wife said to me: “It scares me to death. But I believe in God, and I believe in you, so let’s go for it.”

I’ve often wondered how history would be different if my wife had said, “No. I’m afraid. Let’s not do it.” There would be no Saddleback Church or 20,000 people baptized in the last ten years. There would be no “Purpose Driven Life” or peace Plan. There would be no half a million pastors trained in 162 countries. Our lives would be very different.

Wives, your husband is dying for you to say, “I trust you.” It is more important than saying, “I love you” because when you say, “I trust you,” you are saying, “I love you” — because love always trusts.

The Bible says in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love” (NIV). Why? Because life is all about learning how to love. Lasting love extends grace and expresses faith.

Talk It Over

In whom do you need to express trust this week?

What are ways you can show someone and not just say that you trust him or her?

What are the fears that keep you from fully trusting in someone you love?