“You can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy.” Proverbs 11:13 Today’s English Version
“A friend is a keeper of confidences, trustworthy with the things that belong to others.”
My thoughts today are about being “a trustworthy friend.”
Have you ever trusted someone with a piece of your life, expecting some measure of privileged confidentiality and then been surprised when they presumed the liberty to share that confidence without your knowledge? I think all of us have probably experienced that; regrettably any one of us may have taken too lightly what a friend entrusted to us.
One of the greatest gifts you give to a friend is a sense of safety in your relationship. A friend is someone with whom you can safely share your fragile dreams, expose your fears, unveil your failures, and discuss your struggles, big and small. Others may laugh at your dreams, belittle your fears, or openly talk about your struggles. A friend would not think of doing that; you are safe with them. A friend is a keeper of confidences, trustworthy with the things that are yours.
A person who is not trustworthy in things that matter deeply and personally to you, is no true friend, however well intended they may seem. “Disregarding another person’s faults preserves love; telling them separates close friends.” Proverbs 17:9 NLT. It is important that you determine the kind of friendship you will provide others, and the kind of friends in which you are willing to invest yourself. Solomon wrote, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born for a time of need.” Proverbs 17:17 NLT.
My Dad was a pastor and great friend to others, a close and trusted friend to many. I grew up in a home and family where his and Mom’s friends were often a part of our everyday lives. Dad was loyal to his friends, and taught me that loyalty was not optional; loyalty to one’s friends is mandatory, an evidence of character and integrity. As a young man, he told me, “Be loyal; never continue a relationship in which loyalty and integrity would be compromised, yours or theirs.”
I have chosen to offer and expect two things in the friendships God has put in my life: loyalty and confidentiality. I have been privileged with the quality of people I can call friends and hope they have found me trustworthy with the areas of life and ministry we have shared.
Here is the Bible’s advice: “No one who gossips can be trusted with a secret, but you can put confidence in someone who is trustworthy . . a gossip can never keep a secret. Stay away from people who talk too much.” Proverbs 11:13/20:19 Today’s English Version. I have observed that a person who will talk to you about their friend, will likely talk to friends about you. Don’t be like that. Be someone with whom others feel safe and protected. Life does not offer that very many places or times.
My prayer for you today is that God and others find you trustworthy.