As a father I’ve always wanted my kids to see me as trustworthy, as a husband, I hope my wife feels she can trust me and as a coach my desire is for my athletes to trust the process I’m trying to take them through. I’ve worked hard at this over the years especially because in my younger years I was not as trustworthy as I would have liked to be, I was more pragmatic and cut a lot of corners to get what I wanted.
But that has changed over the years. Now, in a word, I want to be ‘trustable’.
The Bible has many examples of the importance of being trustworthy. Not surprisingly, the book of Proverbs has a lot to say about it. We read “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” (Prov.12:22). So there is a biblical imperative to this character trait as well as a practical importance. But what do I mean by ‘trustable’? Trustable means to be proactively trustworthy. Trust is a diminishing commodity it seems in these days. Politicians have lost trust, the media has lost trust, most of our institutions have lost trust and yet it’s something we desperately need. We need people who are reliable, who have integrity and walk in character. We need people who we can count on.
WE NEED PEOPLE WHO ARE ‘TRUSTABLE’
Ready to rise to the challenge? First of all, understand it doesn’t happen overnight but is rather a work in progress, something we need to purpose to do as an act of discipline and discipleship. You’re never done growing in this area, as in so many other areas of character building and discipleship.
HOW CAN I DO IT?
Here are some things to consider and implement in order to begin the process:
-Do your best to practice keeping your word …that means when you say you’re going to do something, you really commit and work hard to ensure it happens. You do everything in your power to keep your word.
-When you can’t keep your word, own up to it ….there are times when you just won’t be able to do it. At times like this you need to own it, not make excuses or blame-shift, you take responsibility for not being able to keep your word.
I think most people would seek to be this kind of person and yet the reality is we often struggle with this due to the pressures of life. With this in mind, here are some ways to deal with the stress in life that often causes us to be less trustable.
-breathe deep and slow down …overcommitment and too fast a pace of life causes us to cut corners so slow down, take a breath and get your priorities right
-create structure for yourself …our good intentions can fall victim to the tyranny of urgency but also a lack of preparation. Be sure you’re organized and have a plan for the time that you’re given
-take full responsibility …much like what I mentioned earlier, this is about character so don’t cut corners, don’t blame circumstances or others, be a person of integrity, take responsibility for your life
-take care of yourself ….this is critically important for all facets of life, not just being trustable. Be sure you’re looking after yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you’re not sure how or need some accountability find someone to help you and then walk with you. Don’t have anyone? Message me and I can help.
BE THE CHANGE
Being trustable is not just a nice ideal but is needed today in our families, churches, places of work and communities. We all cry out for change but it starts with you and it starts with me and the choices we make to be people of our word, people of character and thus being an example of a different way to live, a way that changes the world around us. Be the change, be trustable.
