How to Become a Trustworthy Person

In Proverbs 20:6 it says, “Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.” (NCV)

Trust is the emotional glue that draws me closer to friends, family, and a small group. Without trust, I’ll never have the intimate relationship that God wants me to have. Teamwork without trust is impossible.

Proverbs 20:6 says, “Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person” (NCV). This verse was written thousands of years ago, and yet I have the same dilemma today: Who do I trust? How do I find a trustworthy person? More importantly, how do I become a trustworthy person so that people trust me?

First, I earn people’s trust by being consistent. The Bible says in Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (NIV). Today everybody wants to serve God in the obvious and showy ways. But God says I build trust by being faithful in little things. Even when no one is watching me, God is. He sees what I’m doing. And he says that if I’m faithful in little things, he will give me greater and greater responsibility.

Secondly, I earn people’s trust by being trustworthy. People trust me when I can keep information confidential. One of the most important rules for small groups is that what is said in the group stays in the group. My group trusts me to keep private whatever they share. Proverbs 11:13 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret” (NIV). 

Lastly, I earn people’s trust by being close. To be close I have to spend time with people in order to earn their trust. The Bible says, “Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble” (Proverbs 17:17 The Message). That implies proximity. Distance creates distrust. I don’t trust people I don’t know! So if I want people to trust me, I’ve got to spend time with them. Time creates trust. 

So, If I want people to trust me, I can ask God for help to be more consistent, trustworthy, and close to the people he has placed in my life.