You Can’t Surge Trust

John Hopper—

People listen to people they trust. If you’ve got a close friend who knows the city inside and out, you’ll trust her directions over those of a random stranger at the corner store. Thinking about where to invest your bonus? Chances are you’ll trust someone with a proven record like Warren Buffett more than the gambling addict next door. 

So who is most likely to give you their ear when it comes to Jesus, the Bible, or Christianity? The people who trust you. If you’re someone who keeps your word, owns your mistakes, avoids exaggeration, and lives with integrity, people are far more likely to take your words about Jesus seriously. They may not agree right away, but they won’t dismiss what you say so easily. 

Here’s the challenge: trust takes time. It isn’t built overnight. Admiral William McRaven, who led the mission to capture Osama bin Laden, put it this way: you can’t surge trust. That’s why it’s so important to start building it now—so that a year from today, people will be ready to lean in when you talk about Jesus. 

I know that the time to build trust can feel too slow given the urgency of our human condition. But in reality, the “slow” work of building trust often turns out to be the quickest road to seeing people respond. Or in other words, to go fast you often have to go slow. 

So don’t wait. Start today! Be someone others can trust. And when the time comes, they’ll be far more ready to trust what you say about Jesus. 

John Hopper is the Executive Director of REACH, the author of Questioning God and Giving Jesus Away, a lover of a great family, and a big fan of tennis.