Proverbs 31.11-12
“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”
The first thing we are told about this incredible, virtuous woman is that her husband trusts her. He trusts her not just generally, but in the deepest places of himself. He trusts what she does, how she does it, and why. He trusts her action and her motives.
This is the trust imperative. Healthy relationships — personal and professional — are built on a foundation of trust. Indeed, trust is the glue that holds any relationship together. Without trust a relationship will break down.
When trust is present, relationships are strong and people are able to communicate and collaborate to solve problems and get things done. But when trust is absent, relationships are weak and communication and collaboration are a struggle. Problems don’t get solved and things don’t get done. This is true in a marriage, a friendship, a business, and on an athletic team. It is also true in a society.
It is clear that we have a trust problem in America. Cultural surveys confirm that people don’t trust the government, they don’t trust the media, and they don’t trust the people in “the other political party.” Corporate surveys reveal that many employees do not trust business leaders. Divorce rates reveal that husbands and wives don’t trust each other.
The future of our nation demands that we embrace the trust imperative. It must be understood that trust isn’t granted because of a person’s position or title; rather, trust is earned because of a person’s behavior. This is the message in Proverbs 31. The virtuous woman earned the trust of her husband because of her consistent, trustworthy action. As the text says, “She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”
We have much work to do in order to rebuild trust, both individually and institutionally. It will not be easy. It will not happen because of marketing and advertising campaigns. It won’t happen by “shaping the narrative.”
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.” (Proverbs 10.9)
More tomorrow …
