Trust and Inconsistency

I was thinking today about what causes me to have a lack of trust for some people. I realized that it was inconsistency.

con·​sis·​tent | \ kən-ˈsi-stənt \

Definition of consistent

1a: marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity : free from variation or contradiction a consistent style in painting

b: marked by agreement : COMPATIBLE —usually used with withstatements not consistent with the truth

c: showing steady conformity to character, profession, belief, or custom a consistent patriot

2: tending to be arbitrarily close to the true value of the parameter estimated as the sample becomes large a consistent statistical estimator

3archaic : possessing firmness or coherence

Miriam Webster Dictionary, online

Inconsistency can be, not doing what you say you will, not reacting in the same manner given similar situations, not having the same view on any given subject from one conversation to the next, like changing what you say to suit your circumstances at the moment. There are too many examples to list them all, but you get the point. It hit me that inconsistency could cause our children not to trust us. When we say that certain actions will bring certain consequences but that doesn’t happen or when we promise something and fail to follow through, trust can be lost. This not only applies to our children, but to anyone we deal with on any level. Trust isn’t always lost through lies or even by things that are intentional. Often it‘s by not being intentional about our consistency. Of course if you are consistently failing to keep your word or lying that type of consistency should be changed.

Let us be intentional about being consistent with those we love and with everyone we encounter. Consistently show love, be honest., remember to do what you say you will. I have always told my sons to “say what you mean and mean what you say”. We are human and we all fall short and we must give ourselves forgiveness when that happens, but the more we are intentional about our words and actions, the better we get at being consistent. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Romans‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭NASB‬‬

https://www.bible.com/100/rom.3.23.nasb Change is part of life and I acknowledge that....I am not saying that you can never change your mind or view on something...but it shouldn’t be ALL of the time. Others need to know who you are and what you stand for. They should know that they can count on you to follow through. (I believe this can fail to happen when life is too busy). I too have fallen short with the best of intentions so it takes being more intentional on my part.

Questions for you to consider:

How can you build trust with those that you know and love?

What things can you do to be more intentional in your daily life? Do you come across as inconsistent?

Do not promise things that are too much for you to handle. When you do promise, make sure to follow through. Be mindful of your responses to others. Be thoughtful and loving. It‘s a process. Don’t beat yourself up when you fail, just get up and continue to be the best you can with God’s help. I will do the same.