1. How can we recognize a trustworthy person?

 A TRUSTWORTHY person strives to keep his promises and tells the truth. (Ps. 15:4) People know that they can depend on him. We want our brothers and sisters to feel that way about us. What can help us to earn their trust?

2. How can we prove to be trustworthy?

² We cannot force others to trust us. Trust must be earned. It has been said that trust is like money. Earning it is hard; losing it is easy. Jehovah certainly has earned our trust. He will never give us reason to lose trust in him because “everything he does is trustworthy.” (Ps. 33:4) And he expects us to imitate him. (Eph. 5:1) Let us consider some examples of Jehovah’s servants who imitated their heavenly Father and proved themselves to be trustworthy. We will also identify five qualities that will help us to be trustworthy.

3-4. How did the prophet Daniel prove to be trustworthy, and what should that move us to consider?

³ The prophet Daniel set an excellent example of being trustworthy. Although he had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians, he soon earned a reputation as a man who could be trusted. His reputation grew when, with Jehovah’s help, he interpreted the dreams of Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. On one occasion, Daniel had to tell the king that Jehovah was displeased with him​—not the kind of message a king would want to hear. That took courage, for Nebuchadnezzar had a violent temper! (Dan. 2:12; 4:20-22, 25) Many years later, Daniel again proved to be trustworthy when he accurately interpreted a mysterious message that appeared on the palace wall in Babylon. (Dan. 5:5, 25-29) Still later, Darius the Mede and his appointed officials also noticed “an extraordinary spirit in” Daniel. They acknowledged that Daniel “was trustworthy and no negligence or corruption could be found in him.” (Dan. 6:3, 4) Yes, even pagan rulers recognized that this worshipper of Jehovah could be trusted!

⁴ With Daniel’s example in mind, we do well to ask ourselves: ‘What reputation do I have outside of the congregation? Am I known as someone who fulfills his responsibilities and who can be trusted?’ Why answer those questions? Because we bring praise to Jehovah when we are trustworthy.

5. Why was Hananiah known as being trustworthy?

⁵ In 455 B.C.E., after Governor Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, he looked for dependable men who would take good care of the city. Nehemiah selected, among others, the chief of the Fortress, Hananiah. The Bible describes Hananiah as “a most trustworthy man [who] feared the true God more than many others.” (Neh. 7:2) Love for Jehovah and fear of displeasing him moved Hananiah to take seriously any assignment he was given. Those qualities will also help us to be dependable in our service to God.

6. How did Tychicus prove to be a trustworthy friend to the apostle Paul?

⁶ Note the example of Tychicus, a trusted companion of the apostle Paul. When Paul was under house arrest, he relied on Tychicus, describing him as a “faithful minister.” (Eph. 6:21, 22) Paul trusted him not only to deliver letters to the brothers in Ephesus and Colossae but also to encourage and comfort them. Tychicus reminds us of the faithful, reliable men who care for our spiritual needs today.​—Col. 4:7-9.

7. What can you learn about being trustworthy from the elders and ministerial servants in your congregation?

⁷ Today we deeply appreciate our trustworthy elders and ministerial servants. Like Daniel, Hananiah, and Tychicus, they take their responsibilities seriously. When we attend the midweek meeting, for example, we have no doubt that all the parts on the program have been assigned. And how the elders appreciate it when those assigned can be counted on to prepare and present their parts at the meeting! To illustrate, we do not hesitate to invite our Bible students to attend the weekend meeting, fearing that someone will have forgotten to organize a public talk. And we trust that the literature we need for the ministry will be available. We are well cared for by these faithful brothers, and we thank Jehovah for them! In what ways, though, can we prove ourselves to be trustworthy?

8. How must we be balanced when showing interest in others? (Proverbs 11:13)

⁸ We love our brothers and sisters, and we are interested in their well-being. However, we must be balanced and respect their privacy. Some in the first-century Christian congregation were “gossipers and meddlers in other people’s affairs, talking about things they should not.” (1 Tim. 5:13) We certainly do not want to be like them. But suppose someone shares with us personal information with the understanding that it is not to be repeated. For instance, a sister might tell us about a health problem she is experiencing or some other trial she is facing, asking us to keep the matter to ourselves. We should respect her wishes. * (Read Proverbs 11:13.) Now let us consider a number of other situations in which it is important that we keep a confidence.

9. How can family members prove that they are trustworthy?

⁹ In the family. Each member of the family has a responsibility to keep sensitive, family matters private. For example, a Christian woman may have a habit that her husband finds amusing. Would he talk about it to others and thus cause her embarrassment? Of course not! He loves his wife, and he would never want to do anything to hurt her. (Eph. 5:33) Teenagers want to be treated with a measure of respect. Parents do well to recognize this. They would not humiliate their children by revealing their mistakes to others. (Col. 3:21) Children need to learn to be discreet, not disclosing information to outsiders that could embarrass other members of the family. (Deut. 5:16) When each family member does his part to keep personal family matters private, the family bond is strengthened.

10. What is involved in being a true friend? (Proverbs 17:17)

¹⁰ In our friendships. At one time or another, most of us feel the need to confide in a close friend. Sometimes that may be difficult. We may not be accustomed to revealing our innermost thoughts to anyone, and we would be devastated if we learned later that our friend told others what we said. On the other hand, how we appreciate someone who can keep a confidence! He is “a true friend.”​—Read Proverbs 17:17.

11. (a) How do elders and their wives show that they are dependable? (b) What lesson can we take to heart from an elder who handled a confidential congregation matter and later was with his family? (See the picture.)

¹¹ In the congregation. Elders who are known to keep a confidence are “a hiding place from the wind, a place of concealment” for their brothers. (Isa. 32:2) We know that we can talk freely to these men, certain that what we say to them will be kept confidential. We do not pressure them to tell us things that they should keep private. In addition, we appreciate our elders’ wives because they do not try to pry information out of their husbands. Really, it is a blessing that an elder’s wife is not told personal information about her brothers and sisters. One elder’s wife commented: “I am grateful that my husband keeps information confidential regarding those he meets on shepherding calls or those needing spiritual assistance, not even telling me their names. I appreciate not being burdened with issues I can do nothing about. I am able to interact naturally with all in the congregation. And I can trust that when I confide in my husband about my personal feelings or problems, these too will remain confidential.” Of course, we all want to have the reputation of being trustworthy. What qualities will help us to achieve that goal? Let us consider five of them.

12. Why can we say that love is the foundation of trust? Give an example.

¹² Love is the foundation of trust. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love Jehovah and to love our neighbor. (Matt. 22:37-39) Our love for Jehovah impels us to imitate his perfect example of trustworthiness. For instance, love for our brothers and sisters moves us to keep their personal matters private. We would never want to reveal something that could cause them harm, embarrassment, or pain.​—John 15:12.

13. In what way does humility help us to be trustworthy?

¹³ Humility will help us to be trustworthy. A Christian who is humble does not try to impress others by being the first to reveal a matter. (Phil. 2:3) He does not exaggerate his own importance by suggesting that he is aware of information that he is not allowed to reveal. Humility will also prevent us from spreading speculations about matters that are not discussed in the Bible or in our Bible-based publications.

14. How does discernment help us to be trustworthy?

¹⁴ Discernment will help a Christian to distinguish between “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” (Eccl. 3:7) “Speech is silver, but silence is golden” is a common expression in some cultures. In other words, there are times when it is better to keep quiet than to speak. Appropriately, Proverbs 11:12 advises: “The man of true discernment remains silent.” Consider an example. One experienced elder is often asked to help other congregations with their challenging problems. Commenting on this, a fellow elder said, “He is always careful never to share sensitive information about other congregations.” The elder’s discernment has earned him the respect of the brothers with whom he serves on the body of elders. They are certain that he will not reveal their confidential matters to others.

15. Give an example that shows how being honest can win the trust of others.

¹⁵ Honesty is another element of trust. We trust an honest person because we know that he will always speak the truth. (Eph. 4:25; Heb. 13:18) For instance, suppose you want to improve your teaching ability. So you ask someone to listen to your talk and offer helpful suggestions on how you can improve. Whom would you trust to give you honest feedback? Would it be someone who tells you what you want to hear or someone who kindly tells you the truth? The answer is obvious. The Bible says: “Open reproof is better than concealed love. The wounds inflicted by a friend are faithful.” (Prov. 27:5, 6) Although difficult to hear at first, a friend’s honest comments are what will benefit us in the long run.

16. How does Proverbs 10:19 highlight the need for self-control?

¹⁶ Self-control is indispensable if we are to gain the trust of others. That quality helps us to keep our lips in check when we are tempted to reveal something we were told in confidence. (Read Proverbs 10:19.) We may find that our self-control is put to the test when we are using social media. If not careful, we could unintentionally reveal confidential matters to a large audience. And once we broadcast the information electronically, we have no control over how it will be used or how much damage it will cause. Self-control also allows us to remain silent when opposers try to trick us into revealing things that could endanger our brothers and sisters. This might occur when we are being interrogated by the police in a land where our work is banned or restricted. We can apply the principle to “guard [our] mouth with a muzzle” in these and other situations as well. (Ps. 39:1) Whether we are dealing with our family, our friends, our brothers and sisters, or anyone else, we need to be trustworthy. And to be trustworthy, we need self-control.

17. How can we contribute to the spirit of trust in our congregation?

¹⁷ How thankful we are that Jehovah has drawn us to a brotherhood made up of people who are loving and trustworthy! We all have a responsibility to earn the trust of our brothers and sisters. As we individually work at showing love, humility, discernment, honesty, and self-control, we contribute to a spirit of trust in our congregation. Building trust is an ongoing process. May we imitate our God, Jehovah, and keep proving that we are trustworthy.