Day Three
Trustworthy
Proverbs 31:11...The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on her and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.
The word trustworthy is defined as warranting trust, reliable, dependable, and responsible. The scripture reference of Proverbs 31:11 says the heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely. Okay, let's talk! Money and credit cards. How many of us are responsible with money and credit cards? During the ministering that Paul and I have done, we have heard more stories of problems in marriages because of secret or manipulative spending. And while this issue is not limited to the woman alone, she is usually the primary shopper. So, are we trustworthy with spending? Do we manipulate to get what we want, or hide purchases or accumulate debt without our husband's knowledge? Do we buy and then go home, trying to figure out a way to explain how much we spent, or walk in fear of the credit card bill coming in the mail? The truth, many times, is that we are afraid of being told no if we ask, because we want, what we want, when we want it. And this is not just for the ones who are married, but single people as well. Are your shopping habits trustworthy before God? Now, I realize that money and credit cards is not a problem with everyone, but for many it is.
Let's look at another side of this issue. What about keeping our word? Consider the times we have agreed to do something, yet failed to follow through with it. Oftentimes, the reason for not being trustworthy (dependable, reliable, responsible) is because we come across something more important, more exciting, more fun...??? Unfortunately, there is another person or persons on the receiving end of our coming across something more important, more exciting, more fun...??? Trustworthiness, in this area, used to be a problem in my life. I cannot count the times I spoke out of haste, out of the emotions of the moment, or out of desiring to make someone happy. And while my intentions were good, I failed to follow through. But again, there were others on the receiving end, and I did not think about the consequences of my actions, nor of the disappointment and hurt it may have caused.
I think it is safe to say that every one of us has been untrustworthy at some point in our lives in any number of ways. Yet, as time goes by, this becomes increasingly more evident in our society because people are becoming more self-focused. A few years ago, Paul and I were living in the Chicago area. He was overseeing the building of a credit union and it was a union job. While talking to my Dad one day, who is a retired union plumber/pipe fitter and who has always been a hard worker, giving his very best to the task at hand, he made the comment that Paul would get a good days' work out of the union men. I told Dad that times had changed. This was one of the more difficult and challenging jobs that Paul had to deal with. While the men were paid high wages - union scale, their performance and work ethics were sadly lacking. Many of them were unreliable, not willing to fulfill their contract in a professional way.
In the Gospels, we see an account of the disciples not being dependable. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus went to pray before He was crucified. The book of Matthew says...And taking with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to show grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed. Then He said to them, My soul is very sad and deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me. And going a little further, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will [not what I desire], but as You will and desire. And He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and He said to Peter, What! Are you so utterly unable to stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour? All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again a second time He went away and prayed, My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, Your will be done. And again, He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were weighed down with sleep. So, leaving them again, He went away and prayed for the third time, using the same words. Then He returned to the disciples and said to them, Are you still sleeping and taking your rest...(Matthew 26:37-45a). During this time, Peter also told Jesus that He would not be one of the ones who would fall away and stumble, yet he denied Christ three times. However, these same men, these disciples, went on to become the foundation of the early Church.
...The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely... This man trusted because his wife walked in integrity and honesty in all that she did, thereby warranting trust. The attribute - trustworthiness, being reliable, dependable, and responsible comes by walking in God's will. Over the last several years, the Lord has taught me to walk in honesty in my life. I never went shopping secretly, but I did manipulate. I was afraid that if I asked, Paul would say no. So I went ahead and bought what I wanted and would come home and tell him what I bought, giving many reasons why I needed it! And while he did not get angry, I was wrong in that manipulation.
A while back, Paul was talking to someone at work and a comment was made about shopping. Paul's reply was, "Oh, I trust my wife. She likes to look, but she doesn't spend much." To me, that was like the husband in Proverbs who said that he trusted in his wife confidently. And the point, for me, was not about money, it was about integrity and trust.
Shopping is just one area. What about our word, or our relationships with each other? It is imperative, in these days and times, that we humble our hearts before the Father and walk as trustworthy men and women of God. As we speak with our mouths that we want to be like Jesus, wanting to serve Him, should we not emulate this same characteristic in our lives that He, in fact, is? Why? Because there are those who are lost, those who have lost hope, and those who do not know that there is a God Who is fully Trustworthy, Who is fully Reliable, who is always Dependable and Who is Supremely Responsible. And we are the ones who are to carry this message of hope, by word and by example to a world that does not know.
The truth is, we have not been trustworthy because we do not trust. The truth is that we have trusted in ourselves and our ways of getting our needs, wants and desires met more than we have trusted others, and even more than we have trusted God. When we walk in God's will, learning to trust Him with our every need and even our wants and desires, we will walk in integrity and honesty, thereby warranting trust...
Psalm 91:15-16...He shall call upon Me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
A hearts' cry...Father, I humble my heart to You...teach me Lord, to be trustworthy in all areas of my life, as You are Trustworthy...