Every human relationship, whether with friends, family, neighbors, or work associates, involves trust (or the lack thereof). You buy merchandise from a store you can trust or start a business partnership with someone you trust. You go to a doctor you can trust and attend a church you can trust. Without trust, relationships break down.

One of the most critical ingredients in ministry is trust. People will listen and be influenced by us if they trust us. Where there is trust, there is a context for loving someone. Many are rebuffed in their efforts to show love because the trust factor has not been sufficiently developed. This explains why sometimes deeds of love are rejected, ignored, or second-guessed. If people don’t trust us, they are suspicious of our “love.”

Trust is also a significant factor in our evangelism. People will not accept the word of God through us unless they can trust us. Trust is a key to influencing people and making a difference in their lives. But how do we earn it? How can we become the kind of people that others trust? I agree with those who identify three qualities that build trust: compassion, competence, and consistency. Our Lord Jesus Christ had all three.

Compassion. One reason the crowds followed our Lord was because they sensed His care for them. Three times, Matthew writes that Jesus was compassionate toward the crowds (e.g., Matt 9:36). Another time, He had compassion toward two blind men on the road out of Jericho (Matt 10:34). People flocked to Him because He cared about their health and well-being (John 6:2)

Competence. Our Lord was also competent. What He did, He did well! Not only did His Heavenly Father recognize His excellence (“This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matt. 3:17), but the people who saw Jesus’ miracles marveled at Him:

The crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. (Matt. 15:31)

Jesus was praised in the recognition of excellence. Psalm 8:1 says “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth.” His name reflects who He is. There was nothing shoddy about Him or His efforts! The competence of His works on earth demonstrated His compassion – He fed the crowds and healed their sicknesses. He really did meet their needs!

Consistency. Finally, our Lord was consistent. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He was not two-faced or double-minded. What He said was what He meant, and He was consistent. He always rejected hypocrisy and chided faithlessness on the one hand and, on the other hand, welcomed repentance and offered love. People learned what to expect from Him.

Christ influenced people because He was compassionate, competent, and consistent. He could be trusted. We followers of Christ may not be perfect in these qualities, but the more we grow in them, the more opportunity we will have to impact those around us. People want to know that we care. They also want to know that our actions match our attitude. And they want to know that our caring and actions are consistent and are there for the long haul – especially when they need us. Building these qualities into our lives may not guarantee people will trust us, for even religious leaders of Jesus’ time did not always trust Him. But these qualities will foster a lifestyle that will encourage others to trust us. Then, and only then, are we in a position to positively impact the lives of others.