The Devastation of Losing Trust

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Tiger Woods was completely wrong; I think we would all agree with that, unless you are currently cheating on your husband or wife. I believe everyone has problems in their lives, so to throw stones at him would be wrong from a spiritual standpoint, but totally justified from a human standpoint.

I’ve never really liked Tiger Woods. He comes across as arrogant and rude. So, I typically pull for anyone who plays against him, especially my favorite lefty-golfer, Phil Mickelson. However, I do want to see Tiger restored as a person and I want to see his marriage restored, not just for the sake of the children or a business deal, but because Tiger and his wife Elin are people.

I do think however, Tiger has put himself in a position that is going to be extremely hard to overcome and to receive that restoration. One of the greatest things that Tiger has ruined in this situation is his trust. Losing trust in a marriage (or in any relationship) is a devastating thing. I believe trust is no different than faith. You are blindly committing to someone all of who you are, believing that in the end, they will have been a good steward of what you’ve given. Tiger destroyed his trust. I think it would have been easier for Elin & Tiger had he made this choice with one mistress, but now they are reporting up to 10 or 11, possibly more.

But, there lies the problem for Tiger and why his choices have become so devastating for his future. Who can trust anything he says? When trust is lost, the negative and the worst is always assumed. One of Tiger’s mistresses, Jamie Grubbs, issued a heart-felt (haha!) apology to Elin, Tiger’s wife. Click Here for Video – I’ve never seen worst acting in my life, and I don’t think what she says in the video is true. (Ask my wife, I’ve got a scary talent for discerning people) But, what can Tiger say? How can he refute anything she says and be believed? In addition, another 5 to 10 women could come out and accuse Tiger of having an affair with them. As soon as some women see the dollar signs these other ladies are bringing in, the temptation to accuse will arise. Where were these women before all of this news broke? Why come forward now? Publicity & money. I guarantee, their names have been Googled several thousands of times in the recent weeks. So, how can Tiger refute anyone who falsely accuses him? He can’t. His trust is crushed into a million pieces and it will take a long time for him to reshape them into anything worth accepting. Forgiveness can be immediate, but when trust is lost, it takes time to rebuild.

The trust Tiger lost may very well have cost him his career or at least limited him to what tournaments he can play in as a pro golfer. Will this cause his sponsors to jump ship? Will it prevent him from breaking some of the world records held by some of Golf’s greatest legends, that he was bound to break? Will it ultimately cost him his marriage because he is not willing to make the sacrifices to his career that Elin is requiring? All of that is still to be seen. Right now, Tiger’s kingdom appears to be crumbling around him.

I am and have been praying for his family, and that God would reveal himself to them through this situation. I hope to see them restored in the future.

Join the Conversation: What are your thoughts on the situation and on the devastation of losing trust?