“Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.” Proverbs 20:6 (NCV)
Trust is the emotional glue that draws you closer to your friends, your family, and your small group. Without trust, you’re never going to have the intimate relationship that God wants you 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). That was written thousands of years ago, and yet we have the same dilemma today: Who do you trust? How do you find a trustworthy person? More importantly, how do you become a trustworthy person so that people trust you?
You 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 you build trust by being faithful in little things. Even when no one is watching you, God is. He sees what you’re doing. And he says that if you’re faithful in little things, he will give you greater and greater responsibility.
You earn people’s trust by being trustworthy.
People trust you when you 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. Your group trusts you to keep private whatever they share. Proverbs 11:13 says, “A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret” (NIV).
You earn people’s trust by being close.
You 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. You don’t trust people you don’t know! So if you want people to trust you, you’ve got to spend time with them. Time creates trust.
Do you want people to trust you? Then ask God for help to be more consistent, trustworthy, and close to the people he has placed in your life.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
Talk It Over
In what specific ways can you show God that you can be faithful in the small things?
Why is it often hard to keep a secret? What is the motivation behind gossip?
What sacrifices will you have to make so that you can spend time with people and earn their trust?
This devotional © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Without trust, you’re never going to have the intimate relationship God wants you to have with the body of Christ. Learn three ways to be a trustworthy person in today’s #DailyHope devotional.
Rick Warren Bio
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.
Tags
40 Days of Community – 2023, Community, Integrity, Trust, Character, Relationships, Faithfulness, Friends, Choices, Proverbs 20, Luke 16, Proverbs 11, Proverbs 17
Broadcast Series: 40 Days of Community – 2023
Sermon Series: 40 Days of Community
Sermon: 016205_Serving Together
