2 Corinthians 4:2
“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”
Building credibility is never an easy task. It is not something you gain because you acquire position, but you gain credibility over time. When you build credibility, it allows you the opportunity to influence people in a greater way. If a Christian or a church is going to greatly influence their world, then they must build credibility amongst those whom they interact with in life.
God gives us the recipe for building credibility. After the church of Corinth got everything in order, they then had the arduous task of building their credibility so they could reach their community for Christ. In the verse above, you find what it takes for a person, church or an organization to build credibility.
First, you must be honest. Honesty is at the core of credibility. You will never gain credibility when people find you dishonest. You must be honest to your own hurt if you want people to trust you. When people see that you will be honest with whatever you face, then they will begin to trust you and your credibility will start to grow.
Second, you must remove all deceitful actions and methods. God says that we are not to walk in “craftiness.” In other words, deceit can be no part of your character or manner of business. At the core of every relationship problem you will find deceit. Deceit causes a person to hide something for personal gain. People will have no confidence in you when they believe you are using them for your own personal gain. Transparency is a great way to build credibility. When people are not constantly looking for the fine print in your dealings with them, then they will begin to trust you enough to believe you. Truthfulness deals with your words, but honesty deals with your actions. When people can trust your word and actions, then your credibility will continue to grow.
Third, use God’s Word in a consistent manner and as your basis for all decisions. What I mean by this statement is don’t use God’s Word one day to defend your actions, and then deceitfully use it another way to defend wrong actions. Be careful that you don’t twist Scripture to fit your preference. Don’t try to portray your preferences as doctrine. If you will use the Word of God as your basis for all actions, thoughts and principles, then you will find that building your credibility becomes much easier. It becomes easier because your actions and decisions are consistent, and they are consistent with the authority of the Word of God.
Friend, your credibility not only reflects upon your character, but it also reflects on Christ throughout your world. Be careful that you don’t allow people to think ill of Christ because of your dishonest or deceitful actions. Be a mirror of Christ to this world by being truthful with your words and honest with your actions, basing everything you do upon the principles of God’s Word. This is how you build your credibility so you can influence people for Christ.