Articles
Establishing Credibility
In a world where ‘fake news’ has become prevalent, where the mainstream media is at its lowest level of trust since anyone started asking about it, and where one can find ‘proof’ of one’s position/argument somewhere on the World Wide Web [no matter what the argument or position may be], it is getting increasingly difficult to establish the credibility of news and/or information sources, including just about every ‘social media’ website or app.
If you are a Christian and believer in God, you should care about credibility — a lot. But I have also seen in my lifetime experience that not enough Christians care about the subject. This is something that is not just “unfortunate” when credibility is questionable and/or a personality trait that is becoming obsolete amongst our society. This is something that can be the primary factor as to whether or not a lost soul hears the truth; this is the factor that can make the difference between someone accepting truth for what it is, or being duped into believing a lie.
And the matter of credibility goes two ways: (1) your personal credibility [how credible are you to others], and (2) how you establish the credibility of others [how credible are others in your perception, and the how you determine what/who is or is not credible, in your perception]. And toward that end, I want to briefly touch on how we can establish our own credibility, and how we can establish the credibility of others — and why doing both is extremely important in the big picture.
The following ten points come from an article in Inc. magazine, aimed at establishing credibility in the business world and, in particular, the field of your specialty. I found it very enlightening that the subhead of the article was this: “Credibility is your best currency; with it you are solvent, without you are bankrupt.” Amen to that — and not just in the business world! Consider:
1. Be trustworthy.
2. Be competent.
3. Be consistent.
4. Be genuine.
5. Be sincere.
6. Be respectful.
7. Be accountable.
8. Be loyal.
9. Be honest.
10. Be principled.
I believe those points are worthy of our consideration, applied in the spiritual realm, and will go a long way in each of us establishing ourselves as credible in the eyes of others. I believe these points are just as important for the people of God because, as was stated in the article leading up to these points, “Credibility is, in a way, a higher bar than success. It means others look at you as a reliable resource and decision maker. It allows those who rely on you to know they can count on you, trust you, do business with you, and align with you.” Take out that part about doing business with you and that is a worthy goal for any Christian to achieve! Others, especially those with little or no knowledge of God and His word, need to know they can count on us, and need to trust us, and this is all important because we are trying to convince them to “align with us” as we strive to serve the Lord and keep His word. Let us consider a few of those points.
Be trustworthy. The article argues that “to cultivate credibility you must build trust, earn trust and get trust…Your trust account is more important than your bank account.” As Christians, why would anyone believe what we say — even if it comes straight from the Bible — if they cannot trust us, otherwise? Ultimately, we are trying to get others to trust in God and His word, but if we are the one trying to get them to trust the Lord and we are not trustworthy, we are fighting a losing battle. There is a reason God’s word commands us, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25).
Be consistent. In the article, the author states, “Everything you do, say and think should be consistent…Credibility only happens when everything is consistent, from the inside out.” Again, I would say “Amen” in the spiritual application of those words! James reminds us, “Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so” (Jas. 3:10). Brethren, we cannot profess to be believers in and followers of Jesus Christ and, at the same time, speak like the world, post hateful and disrespectful words on social media, and pass on unverified [i.e., likely false] stories just because they promote our political ideology. When we do such, we lose credibility. No political ideology is worth sacrificing our credibility, brethren.
Be genuine. The article’s author states, “You need authenticity to cultivate credibility; when you’re trying to win trust, you can’t rely on the ‘fake it till you make it’ approach.” Just stop and think about that for a minute: If, in our efforts to convince others to follow Jesus, we ‘fake’ our faith and commitment to Him just so we can successfully convince them, what do we think they will do when they find out — and they will -— that it was all just for show? It is highly likely they will see us as merely “false prophets…in sheep’s clothing” (Matt. 7:15), and will then doubt everything we’ve ever told them -— even if it is the truth!
Be respectful. The article’s author also states, “Holding other people’s feelings in respect may mean nothing to you, but it could mean everything to them.” Here is where we fail, and far too often. Many times, Christians act as if they are the sole dispenser of truth [they, the individual] and the one we are trying to teach is some poor, ignorant heathen who just needs to listen to us because WE have the truth. It doesn’t matter if they believe denominational doctrine, some religious doctrine from the East, or believe in nothing at all; if we speak to them without respecting their feelings, they won’t care what we say. Again, there is a reason God’s word commands us, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one” (Col. 4:5, 6). One who lacks respect for others has zero credibility.
Be honest. This really should go without saying when it comes to establishing our credibility, but it must be said, nonetheless. The article’s author stated that honesty is “the core source of credibility,” and that is correct; there is simply no way we can claim to be credible if we are not honest! As Christians, we should be able to pray, as did the psalmist, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart” (Psa. 26:2), and, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me” (Psa. 139:23, 24). You see, the Lord knows whether or not we are honest, whether any man ever knows or not; but being known as one who is dishonest will destroy any credibility we ever hoped to have with others.
We could go on, but I believe the point has been made as to the importance of each and every disciple establishing credibility with others; our success in convincing others to hear us, and to obey the Lord, depends on it! And here is where the credibility of others and our personal credibility overlaps: If we believe others are credible when they are not, and then pass on their information to others, then our credibility is diminished or destroyed. Be careful whose words, what stories, and whose posts you pass on without verifying its credibility, because once you have passed it on, it comes back to you. Are we doing the things that strengthen our credibility, or erode it? — Steven Harper
[Lolly Daskal, Inc., "10 Powerful Ways You Can Earn Credibility in Your Industry,” June 13, 2017.]
