Trust can be difficult to navigate in the world we live in.
Early in my career, fresh out of college and learning the ropes in sales, I noticed something that confused me. Some salespeople were extremely guarded when it came to sharing information about their clients. Product managers—who were meant to support them—were sometimes treated like second-class citizens. I saw instances where someone was chastised simply for communicating with a client without the salesperson’s knowledge.
It baffled me. We all worked for the same organization. I believed in the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships. Why resist the very support system designed to help you succeed?
Over time, it became clear that two things were usually at play: trust and insecurity.
When someone feels threatened by factors outside their control entering their sphere of influence, the natural response—if insecurity is present—is to tighten the grip. Instead of leaning into collaboration, they stiff-arm it. Instead of building trust, they build walls.
For a while, I chalked this up to “just business.” The secular world. Competitive environments. Human nature.
But over the past few years, I’ve watched a pastor—once a dear friend—fall into the same pattern. What started as hesitation to trust evolved into unhealthy levels of control. That control produced predictable results: people left, morale declined, and ownership disappeared. What I witnessed wasn’t primarily a leadership failure. It was a trust issue—rooted deeper than policies or personalities.
When men refuse to trust, it often reveals an internal battle they haven’t resolved.
That’s why Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 2:2 feel so timely:
“The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
The word entrust is where many stumble.
Paul doesn’t say hoard. He doesn’t say control. He says entrust—to faithful men.
That requires discernment. That’s trust that isn’t blind, and reckless. It’s earned through faithfulness. But it also requires release. You cannot both control everything and multiply influence at the same time.
Paul understood that difficult days were coming. That’s why he was careful about who carried the message forward. Faithfulness isn’t proven when things are easy. Anyone can lead when it’s cupcakes and rainbows. The real test shows up under pressure—when obedience costs something, when perseverance is required, when quitting would be easier.
As men striving to live by God’s Word, we can’t skim past this wisdom.
Are we clinging to control because we desire power more than partnership?
Are we withholding trust because insecurity is whispering louder than faith?
Are we living in a way that proves we can be trusted with what matters most?
Trust, rightly placed, multiplies impact.
Control, tightly held, eventually suffocates it.
The ultimate question isn’t simply whether others are trustworthy.
It’s whether we are.
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