Dependability & Credibility

By Maria Fontaine

Download Audio (5.0MB)

I thought the following article by Ron White was very interesting and motivating. These are essential qualities for us to have as Christians, because of who we represent. We might be familiar with our responsibility to live with godly values, and not think much of it when we fail or fall short, but people see Christians as representatives and followers of Jesus, and integrity and dependability are qualities that they expect—and rightly so—to see in us.

Here’s the article:

It was a family get-together a few years ago, and in my absence my family began to speculate if I was going to show up. Some said, “Probably.” Others didn’t think so. Then my aunt chimed in, “He’ll be here.” Everyone turned and looked at my aunt because of her matter-of-fact tone. My grandmother said, “How do you know that?”

My aunt replied, “Because he said he would. Not only that … he will be on time!”

That was that, and the conversation shifted to other matters and preparing the food. The lunch was set to begin at 1:00, and at 12:57 there was no sign of me, yet the look on my aunt’s face was as relaxed as it could be. (She has nerves of steel—not a good idea to play poker with her.)

Then at 12:58 the door knob began to turn and I walked through the door. As soon as I stepped foot in the house, my aunt threw up her arms as if to signal the game-winning field goal and said, “What did I tell ya?!” My aunt has never been above gloating, and savors every opportunity.

I soon realized that her happiness was more than simply me joining them for lunch. That reaction from my aunt caused me to think that day. It forced me to pause and realize how valuable it is in life and business for others to trust what you say and feel comfortable depending upon you.

It is priceless when others are 100% confident that you will follow through on your word.

How do you garner that kind of trust? How do you become a person whom others know will be there or will do what you say you will? Simple, you do what you say you will do. It may seem elementary, yet if you do this day in and day out, people will begin to notice. You don’t have to advertise that you are a person who keeps their word. Others will just figure it out.

It is so rare and so uncommon that you will stand out like a red marble in a bowl of white marbles.

There is a truth that says, “He who is faithful in little will also be faithful with much.”1 There is no task, chore, or promise that is too small to be faithful with. It could be keeping a secret, a promise, or following through on a statement. It could be simply arriving on time or delivering your product when you said you would.

When you are faithful in a lot of little things, those little things end up meaning a lot over time. It has been said that a good name is more desirable than riches.

If you are not reliable and trustworthy when your friends have referrals they could give you, do you think that they would? If you don’t follow through on the simple matters of life, why would anyone trust you by referring business to you?

Hopefully one day someone will say about you, “Because they said they would!”

Action Points

1. When you say you will be there at 1:00, be there at 1:00.

2. When you promise to deliver your product on time, deliver your product on time.

3. If you say you will call, call.

4. Pay your bills on time; cut back on your expenses if you can’t do this.

5. Become trustworthy. It is very simple. It is about the little things.2

*

Can others say of you, “I know they’ll do it, because they said they would”?

The Lord depends on us to be His hands, His feet, His face, His love, His witness, and He’s counting on us to be dependable, just as He’s dependable. We’re His representatives, His face to the world, and that’s a big responsibility.

People can become disappointed with Jesus and turned off to His truth if someone who represents Jesus to them doesn’t keep their word, or because they do something that makes them lose respect.

It’s a wonderful testimony when a Christian does what they say they will, when they’ve said they’ll do it. Let’s be dependable, trustworthy, and credible, and it will aid us in being successful both in our witness and in life!

Originally published January 2009. Updated and republished June 2012.
Read by Bethany Kelly. copyright@thefamilyinternational


1 Luke 16:10.

2 Because He Said He Would, by Ron White, from http://www.memoryinamonth.com/ezine/pr06.htm, October 2005.