How many times have you heard “Trust me”? For me, that usually sends up a red flag. When a person says “trust me,” you wonder why he has to say it. Trust is not something to be demanded. It is earned.

Never in human history have half-truths, spin, and lies been such a big part of our daily lives and we need to be careful about to whom we give our trust! As you watch the news you question if it’s truth or spin. How about the things said in a commercial about a product we use? Is it truth or spin?

The need to trust and the possibility of betrayal is something everybody struggles with. To have a truly trustworthy friend in your life is priceless. Many have lived long lives and never had someone they could trust their deepest longings to.

Now, you might think this is about having someone to trust. It’s not! It’s about being a person that is trustworthy. The greatest disappointment a young Christian can experience is betrayal by a Christian he or she had looked up to.

Doesn’t trust begin with truth? In John 8:32 Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” In John 14:6 He said, “I am the truth.” If I am to be trusted, I must face the truth about myself; and I cannot be truly trusted outside my personal relationship with God through Christ.

In Christ I must be committed to trustworthiness! I know many pastors who were told something in confidence, but broke the trust and lost their credibility. Not being trustworthy has resulted in untold numbers of “wounded” believers and non-believers. The church roll has so many on it who haven’t darkened the door for years because they had been betrayed. Many non-believers are hostile toward the gospel because of the lack of honesty and credibility by some of those in the church and, yes, in the pulpit. James 3:5 [LB] says, “The tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do.”

Rick Warren, pastor of the Saddleback Church in southern California and author of the Purpose Driven Life, recently preached a series of messages entitled “Leading Like Jesus.”  That title hits the nail right on the head. The church needs, and must have, leaders that can be trusted!! While we thank God for pastors and church leaders that can be trusted, we must face the fact that some in leadership positions cannot be trusted. There are no easy answers to this age-old reality, but raising the awareness of its existence can help to guard against it.