By David Faust
The song, “Count on Me,” made popular by singer Whitney Houston in the 1990s, included these lines:
Count on me through thick and thin,
A friendship that will never end.
When you are weak, I will be strong,
Helping you to carry on.
Where did we get the expression “count on me”? Medieval bankers counted money on counting-benches. (The Italian word for “bench,” banca, is where we get the word “banker.”) The benches held tables with rows and columns that helped to provide an accurate result when workers counted money. As time passed, the phrase referred to items or people you could “count on” to do the right thing.
Be a Rock
When you buy a car or a household appliance, you want it to be reliable. You want reliability from your plumber and mechanic, your family and friends—and your preacher. According to author Frank Sonnenberg, an advocate for moral and personal responsibility, “You can be the most talented person in the world, but if you’re not reliable, you’re going nowhere fast.” Here is another way to say it: Ability without reliability equals inability.
Reliable people are dependable, responsible, steady, and trustworthy—and those are some of the same qualities we admire about God. David wrote, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (Psalm 18:2).
In the New Testament, Simon the fisherman was impetuous and impulsive, but Jesus nicknamed him Petros—the rock-man. Perhaps the Lord intended this nickname as a way of reminding Peter to be solid and consistent in his faith, words, and actions. We all can find greater stability and strength by building our lives on Christ, the solid Rock.
How Reliable Are You?
The prophet Malachi rebuked God’s people because they had become unfaithful in numerous ways. They were “sorcerers” (unfaithful in spiritual matters), “adulterers” (unfaithful in sexual behavior), and “perjurers” (unfaithful in legal affairs). They were unfaithful at work (defrauding laborers of their wages), unfaithful toward the vulnerable (oppressing widows and orphans), and unjust toward foreigners from other lands. Worst of all, they were unfaithful to the Lord himself and lacked reverence for God (Malachi 3:5).
If you are married, does your spouse consider you reliable? According to Proverbs 31:11, the husband of a godly wife has “full confidence in her.” Malachi insisted that no husband should harm “the one he should protect,” for married couples should “be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful” (Malachi 2:16).
Do your boss and coworkers consider you reliable? Can they count on you to be on time, do an honest day’s work, and carry out your responsibilities faithfully?
Can your friends rely on you to tell the truth and be there in times of need? Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “When friendships are real, they are not glass threads or frost work, but the solidest things we can know.”
Are you a reliable church member? Can other believers count on you to show up and contribute to the growth of the body? Do you consistently have a positive attitude as you worship and serve the Lord and encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ?
If every other member of your church were as reliable as you, how healthy would your congregation be?
Personal Challenge:
Have a direct, forthright conversation with your spouse or a close friend about the issue of trust. Ask them, “Do you consider me reliable and trustworthy? What can I do to build stronger bonds of trust with you and with others?”
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