2 Tips to Discovering More Trust in Your Relationships
Trust. It’s important, yet hard. The basic meaning of trust is the belief that someone or something is reliable, good or honest. Doesn’t sound much like 2020 or 2021, does it? It is hard to know who or what we can trust these days. Can we trust our government, our neighbors, or even our family members?
Over the next few weeks at Mission Church, we will be looking at 5 Dysfunctions of Family. Trust and trustworthiness are huge parts of a family life, and the best assets to fight against the common instinct towards mistrust.
I often hear people ask the question “why don't they trust me?” Husbands, wives, coworkers, neighbors, kids… the list goes on. Most people WANT to be trusted, but don’t understand why they aren’t.
What if we were to turn that question around to "am I trustworthy?” How do I... ME… the person in the mirror… become more worthy of trust?
Here are two important steps toward reaching that goal of being worthy of trust:
Don't overcommit.
In order to be trustworthy, you have to be dependable. It's hard to follow through when you've said yes to a million things. Major on majors! Think about about what you are committing to. Everyone has primary commitments, like God, your spouse, your children, etc. Adding more commitments may seem commendable, but can be exactly the opposite if you can’t live up to all of them. Choose what really matters, commit to those things, and follow through on them - every time. That builds trust.
Don't hide.
One of the greatest destroyers of trust is getting caught in the act of covering up something that happened or didn't happen. It withdraws a whole bunch from the bank account of trust. If you mess up, own it. Own where you came up short and in owning it, more trust is built. Most people would rather partner with friends, loved ones or co-workers who are honest and own their faults than someone who acts like they have no faults at all.
Though these two steps may seem small, they are hugely important. Reserve the right to be picky about what you commit to, and be transparent while you do it. I promise you, the trust you build will be worth it!