How to Know If Someone Is Trustworthy

Hey, there, listeners, it’s me, your host, Wanda Thibodeaux, and you’ve tuned in to Faithful on the Clock, the podcast where every piece of cheese is sliced to get your faith and work aligned. Today’s episode is one of those you can apply to just about every area of your career or business because we’re talking about how to tell if someone is trustworthy. Let’s dive right in.

All right, everybody. So God has all kinds of incredible qualities, but one of the ones I think is the most beautiful is that He’s just ridiculously trustworthy. Isaiah 26:4 says “Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, Himself, is the Rock eternal.” And that verse to me, you know, it really points out that God is somebody we can anchor to. He’s somebody who’s gonna come through not once, not twice, but over and over again. And you know, people are fickle and imperfect, and they’re gonna make mistakes. I think we’ve all experienced the pain of having somebody betray us in some way. But God doesn’t play by the same rules that people play by, which means He’s not gonna let you down, like, ever. And Jeremiah 17:7-8 reveals that God really does reward and look out for the people who put their trust in Him. It says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Now, if you’re a Christian professional, your job is to do what Jesus would do as much as you can. That’s part of showing that you love Him, is to act as He would, right? And 1 Corinthians 15:33 points out how important it is to surround yourself with people who behave in an upright way, and it says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” So in that mindset, I’ve got 15 signs of trustworthiness that I want to get through today, and I actually covered these in an article I did for Inc that I’ll link to for you in the show notes.

But I’m gonna start right away with the first point, which is that trustworthy people are incredibly consistent. They don’t wear masks or walk things back, and if they do switch gears, they do it because they’ve learned something. It’s out of humility, right? They’re not just trying to save face. And you can also look at what others say about them. What you hear is gonna be the same as what you observe firsthand, as well.

Secondly, trustworthy people are compassionate and humble. Doing both of those things means that they’re looking beyond themselves. They’re gonna consider what you need or want, not just want they need or want.

Third, trustworthy people respect boundaries. Because they can be compassionate and humble and look outward, they’re not about controlling everybody else. They don’t bully or steamroll people. So if you say no, they’re OK with that. They might explain why they don’t like it or disagree, but at the end of the day, they’re going to respect the line you drew in the sand.

Number four, trustworthy people compromise and don’t expect something for nothing. They really understand this idea of reciprocity, so they’re willing to make some small sacrifices when it’s appropriate. Now, I wanna be clear that when I say compromise, I do not mean that they compromise their values. They don’t bend on those. It’s just that they think about how they can benefit the other person they’re dealing with as they receive a benefit themselves. It’s really just a matter of fairness.

Number five, when you’re around someone who’s trustworthy, they’re gonna seem really relaxed. Now, why is this? Well, it’s because they don’t have anything to hide. And then what happens is, because you have mirror neurons that pick up on their body language and other cues, you’re probably gonna really feel pretty calm, too, because that’s the signal they’re sending you.

The sixth trait of trustworthy people is that they really honor your time. And this has to do with the fact that they see a value in keeping their word about plans and allowing you to do the same thing. So they’re not gonna rush you or drag things out just so they can gain something.

The seventh trait you’ll see is that trustworthy people show gratitude. Again, they’re humble. They know they’re not a one-person show and they really value everything other people do to contribute or help them become better. And you’ll see this a lot not only in that they say thank you, but in that they bring attention to others who have done well. They’re not threatened to have other people in the spotlight once in a while.

Number eight, trustworthy people are incredibly truthful and transparent. They will give you the facts where they can, and they’re not going to omit things or fudge data just to look better. They’re gonna lay it all out there and have faith that things can be solved with good empathy and communication.

Number nine, you’ll notice that trustworthy people are super willing to be vulnerable and confide in you. And they do this because they genuinely want you to connect. The key here is that all of their vulnerability and the way they confide is appropriate. They’re not gonna overshare and try to force you to care, but they’ll tell you what they think or what they’ve been through in a way that lets you know they’ve been paying attention.

The tenth sign someone is trustworthy is that they keep materialism at arm's length. And it’s not that they can’t appreciate nice things. They do. It’s just that they put people first. And because of that, they’re willing to live simply, and they don’t treat anybody like trash just because they feel like they need to protect themselves financially.

Number eleven, trustworthy people are right a lot of the time. Because truth is one of their core values. And because of that, they put in the time to research and learn and get answers from reliable sources. They’re willing to examine a lot of perspectives and do the analysis to figure out what’s accurate.

The twelfth item on our list is that trustworthy people are not gossipers. Again, they value truth to a really high degree. And what is gossip? Well, sometimes there’s some truth in it, but a lot of it is just hearsay. There often isn’t a good way to verify much. So trustworthy people are gonna stay away from gossip and stick to first-hand sources whenever they can. And plus, they know that rumors can tear people down, and that’s not what they’re about. They’re about empowering people and building them up, not tearing people down.

Number thirteen, trustworthy people are learners. They know they don’t have all the answers and that things are gonna change over time. So they’re always on this path of self-improvement, and they share what they learn as they go. Now, remember, too, in one of the very first episodes of the show I did, I talked about the purpose of self-development, which is to better reflect the God in whose image you’re made. So on the Christian side, it’s not just that they want to grow or help others. It’s that they want to do right by God and keep getting better so they can be closer to Him.

Number fourteen. We’re almost done now. But trustworthy people, they know who you’re connected to, and they try to connect to you. So remember, they don’t wear masks, and other people are going to confirm what you’ve experienced with this person. So if they’re introducing you to a lot of people, that’s a good sign, because it’s really hard to hide the reality of who you are if there’s a ton of individuals who can tell you what the other person is like. And if they try to connect to you and connect you to others, that shows they value you enough to take time to know you and help you find others who could benefit you.

All right. The last and final trait of trustworthy people is that they genuinely are there for you and others. Now, everybody misses the boat sometimes. There are going to be situations where they don’t realize you need help or totally misinterpret what’s going on. That’s life. And nobody can be everything to everybody. But trustworthy people do their best to help when they can. If they realize they could do something, they make an effort, and they don’t do it expecting anything back. They just do it because it’s the right thing to do.

That’s it, everybody. I hope this clarifies not only what you should be looking for in new hires, partners, or others you might work with, but also that it gives you a really strong sense of, really, what integrity looks like. And if you’ve listened to other episodes or read any of my other work, you know that I honestly believe that integrity is everything. You can be charming, funny, skilled, and none of it matters if you can’t keep your feet from slipping out underneath you. And even though God is ridiculously loving and joyful and merciful, it’s His integrity, His wholeness and righteousness, that’s at the center of all of those things. It should be at the center of your life, too.

So, let’s pray together.

Lord, scripture is full of people who failed the trust test, people who lied and cheated and who were willing to play games for their own gain. Joseph’s brothers, Delilah, Saul, Absalom — and of course, Judas betrayed Jesus in the worst possible way. Remind us every day that we can do better than that, that we ought to do better than that because we represent You. When we’re tempted to stray away from these trustworthy behaviors, God, just give us a vision of what our lives can be if we keep walking on the right path with you. Make sure we understand how being trustworthy will be rewarded in our careers, but more importantly, in our eternity with You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

That’s the show, everybody. Let this list I’ve given you today serve as a good checklist as you evaluate people who come into your life, and keep striving to hold yourself to the points we’ve talked about, as well. In two weeks, I’m going to chat about the definition of productivity and why it’s time to rewrite it. If you haven’t already done it, sign up for our email list at faithfulontheclock.captivate.fm. Have a great two weeks, everybody, and until next time, be blessed.