The Trust Test

By Justin Graham

The three-and-a-half years I spent in Lee University’s Campus Choir changed my whole life. In 2003, we were invited to lead worship in Nashville, Tennessee, at the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) studio. So, off we went, and there I was, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with about 100 other college students.

We’d been leading worship live on air for over an hour, and now Perry Stone was deep into his sermon as we stood faithfully behind him, hanging onto every word and soaking in the experience—and drowning in our own sweat!

As I looked down from the risers, I saw our choir director, Dr. David Horton—“Doc” to us—standing at the edge of the stage. He hadn’t sat down once, and that worried me. Later, I asked if he was OK. Doc wrapped his arm around my shoulder and said, “Brother Justin, in ministry and in leadership you will learn never to ask anyone to do something that you’re not willing to do yourself.”

That moment marked me. And it introduced me to a key leadership principle I’ve lived by ever since: God trusts servant leaders.

TRUST IS EARNED, NOT ASSUMED

In Numbers 12:7, God says of Moses, “Of all my house, he is the one I trust” (NLT). Out of millions of Israelites, God chose Moses—not because he was perfect or charismatic, but because he was trustworthy. God wasn’t looking for flair; He was looking for someone who would carry the weight of responsibility without compromising integrity.

Moses had a track record that proved his faithfulness. He was consistent. He was humble. He wasn’t trying to build his own name; he was faithfully stewarding God’s vision. He didn’t wake up one morning and become trustworthy overnight. Moses spent 80 years becoming the kind of leader who could carry out the assignment of delivering an entire nation.

If you want to lead, it’s not enough to be gifted. You must be trustworthy.

Trust is never just given—it’s earned over time. And unfortunately, it’s easily lost. Trust is built in the small things: in your honesty, humility and ability to follow through. Moses earned God’s trust not by being loud or flashy but by being consistent and obedient. When everyone else was grumbling and doubting, Moses kept showing up. That same kind of steady, behind-the-scenes faithfulness is what I saw firsthand in one of my earliest mentors.

During my time in Campus Choir, Doc didn’t just teach us music; he modeled ministry. He taught us to show up early, honor every invitation and worship with sincerity whether we were in a small-town church or on international television. There was no “performance switch” to turn on or off. We were to live with consistency and integrity—onstage, backstage or offstage.

Leadership is forged in those backstage moments. You’re not a leader because of what you do in front of people. You’re a leader because of who you are when no one is watching. There shouldn’t be an “on” and “off” switch in the way we live our lives. That’s not integrity—and it’s definitely not trustworthy.

That’s what Doc taught us—be the same person wherever you are. If you’re only leading well when people are watching, then you’re performing—not leading. If someone is watching you—and someone always is—you’re leading. Parents lead kids. Coaches lead players. Teachers lead students. Even students lead their peers. Leadership isn’t positional; it’s relational. And all relationships hinge on trust.

John Maxwell said it best: “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” But I’d add: everything in leadership rises and falls on trust.

Whether you’re leading a church, a team, a classroom or just your own household—you are setting an example. So the question becomes: Can God trust you with what He’s placed in your hands? Can others trust you with their hearts, their time, their hope?

INTEGRITY CAN’T BE DELEGATED

The film Remember the Titans was set during a volatile time in America when schools were being desegregated. Sadly, not everyone was for that, so the football team at T.C. Williams High School had to deal with racial conflict head-on. Gerry Bertier was the captain of the white team, and Julius Campbell led the Black team.

In one heated argument during their first few days of practice, Bertier called Campbell out for his lack of effort and for not obeying his leadership, and Campbell returned with a brutally honest accusation: Bertier’s white teammates refused to block for Campbell’s Black teammates.

Campbell’s attitude frustrated Bertier, but it was his job to call his white teammates to a higher standard. Instead, he blindly trusted them to do the right thing. Bertier made no effort to hold his white teammates accountable, which left Campbell frustrated by his hypocrisy. In this pivotal scene, Julius Campbell confronts Gerry Bertier with this line: “Attitude reflects leadership!”

Campbell was sick and tired of his bad attitude and poor cooperation—Bertier was causing trust issues. Thankfully, Bertier took Campbell’s admonition to heart and began holding his white teammates accountable. One simple decision—to lead by example—eliminated Campbell’s trust issues.

By choosing to lead from the front, Bertier proved that the best leaders don’t just talk about standards—they live them. It’s easy to demand excellence from others. It’s another thing to embody it yourself.

If you want to be trusted, then you have no choice but to lead with integrity. Don’t ask staff to clean toilets if you won’t. Don’t expect transparency if you’re hiding things. Don’t demand accountability without giving it. Don’t expect your spouse to treat you with respect when you’re not willing to reciprocate. And the people you lead can tell the difference.

Moses wasn’t a perfect leader, but he stayed faithful, and that faithfulness earned him God’s trust. I believe God is always looking for people He can trust so He can use them to lead others. I want to be trusted like that. Don’t you?

WHAT JESUS TAUGHT AT THE TABLE

Let’s return to the table where time held its breath—the eve of the cross, the Last Supper. When we picture the Last Supper, many of us imagine Leonardo da Vinci’s iconic painting—12 pale, white men seated in a straight line with Jesus at the center—but that image is far from historically accurate.

They didn’t sit at a standard table. Instead, it was a triclinium—a U-shaped table with couches lining three sides, and every seat had a designated purpose. Jesus, fully God and fully man, wrapped a towel around His waist and washed the disciples’ feet.

Back then, it wasn’t a symbolic ritual. It was a dirty, humbling task. But Jesus chose to do it, and everything Jesus did was intentional. This was the last time they would all gather with Him before His death, so He wanted to teach the disciples three of the world’s greatest leadership principles: trustworthy leaders are humble and compassionate, and trustworthy leaders serve.

TRUSTWORTHY LEADERS ARE HUMBLE

They don’t lead from a throne; they lead from the floor. At this gathering, Jesus washed His disciples’ feet—one of the most powerful demonstrations of humility ever recorded. In those days, the task was far more unpleasant than it would be today. We have showers, socks and shoes; they walked dusty roads in open sandals. Their feet would’ve been filthy. Yet Jesus—King of kings, Savior of the world—chose to kneel and serve.

It was more than an act of kindness; it was a lesson in leadership. Trustworthy leaders are never too proud to stoop low in service to those they lead. Jesus was showing them—and us—that if we’re going to change the world, we must do it with humility. That moment in the upper room wasn’t just a lesson in leadership—it was a divine act of trust-building because humility is simply recognizing that your position as a trustworthy leader is to help others discover their God-given purpose.

Moses was a powerful example of humility. Numbers 12:3 says, “Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” After leading the Israelites through the Red Sea, he tried to personally handle every issue that came up—meeting with people from morning until night. He wanted to be a trustworthy leader. But when his father-in-law, Jethro, visited and saw the strain, he gave Moses wise advice: raise up other leaders to share the responsibility. Moses didn’t resist—he listened and changed his approach.

That’s real humility: being willing to admit that someone else has a better idea.

I’ve followed that model in my own leadership. Am I willing to meet with everyone who needs me? Sure. But am I able to? No! Instead, I’ve learned to empower others to lead with me. It’s prideful to think you’re the only one who can help. Humility means believing in others’ gifts—and trusting them. And when you trust others, they’ll trust you.

James 4:10 reminds us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” That verse isn’t just a comforting promise—it’s a leadership strategy. The path to promotion in the kingdom of God is not paved with self-promotion but self-sacrifice. If we want to be elevated, we must first be willing to kneel. Jesus showed us that the greatest leaders are the greatest servants. God lifts those who lower themselves. He entrusts leadership to those who can steward it with humility. So, if you want to be trusted, the way up is always down.

TRUSTWORTHY LEADERS ARE COMPASSIONATE

To fully grasp the weight of what happened at the Last Supper, we have to understand the Jewish customs. In the triclinium, the host, Jesus, sat two spots from the left. The guest of honor sat to His left. According to Matthew 26:23, that person was Judas.

Let that sink in. Jesus gave the seat of honor to the one who would betray Him!

That wasn’t by accident. Everything Jesus did was on purpose. In this moment, He wasn’t just preparing to give His life—He was demonstrating the highest level of leadership. Jesus was showing us that trustworthy leaders are compassionate, even when people don’t deserve it.

Judas had been with Him through it all—the signs, the miracles, the teachings. He was close in proximity but far in spirit. Still, Jesus didn’t withhold love. He gave Judas a seat. That’s not weakness. That’s compassion. Some would say Judas was the worst of sinners because he was close to Jesus but held the very knife that stabbed Him in the back. They may be right, but it still didn’t stop Jesus from giving him a seat at the table.

Moses was another example. After Aaron and Miriam dishonored him, God struck Miriam with leprosy. Moses could’ve responded with pride or bitterness. Instead, he cried out to God and pleaded for her healing. That’s what trustworthy leaders do—they don’t hold on to unforgiveness; they extend grace.

If you want to be a leader people can trust, lead with compassion. Don’t be so quick to write people off when they mess up. Always remember that you, too, are far from perfect. Compassion eliminates trust issues—not just in others, but in you.

TRUSTWORTHY 
LEADERS SERVE

Everything Jesus did was on purpose—including how He arranged the seating at the Last Supper. The disciples had been arguing nonstop about who was the greatest. In Matthew 18, Mark 9 and even during the meal itself in Luke 22, their pride kept surfacing. It got so bad that James and John’s mom jumped in, asking Jesus to make her sons His favorites. Jesus shut it down in Matthew 20:26-28 (NLT), saying, “Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant . . . For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others.”

Then He lived it out.

Remember, Jesus hosted this meal, and Judas was seated in the place of honor. To the host’s right sat the trusted friend—likely John, as we see in John 13:23. But this is where it gets interesting.

In that culture, the servant’s seat—positioned at the far end of the table, opposite the host—was considered the least important. The person in that seat was responsible for serving the others, making sure everyone had what they needed and washing their feet.

According to John 13:24, Peter was in that servant’s seat, evidenced by how he had to motion across the table to get John’s attention. We also know it was his seat because of how convicted he became when Jesus began to wash their feet. Peter knew—that was supposed to be his job.

And remember, this was Peter. The chief apostle!

Jesus was showing us that great leaders will earn trust by learning to serve others. Peter’s placement at the table was not dishonorable by any means. It was definitely not inferior to the other disciples. It was actually preparation for what Jesus would trust Peter to do down the road. Just 50 days later, he’d preach his first sermon, and 3,000 people would come to Christ. God trusts servant leaders to change the world.

If you want to earn trust, sit in the servant’s seat. Trustworthy leaders don’t pick up titles—they pick up towels. They don’t push to the front—they pour out for others. If you want to rise high, start low. Because the highest level of leadership is to serve others.

SAY YES!

Trustworthy leaders say yes to God when He calls them to lead. It’s not about being the most gifted or the most prepared. It’s about being available and obedient. Moses was out in the middle of nowhere, tending sheep on the backside of the desert, when God showed up in a burning bush. He wasn’t campaigning for leadership. He wasn’t seeking a title. He was just being faithful in obscurity.

And that’s exactly when God called him.

Was Moses perfect? No. He had doubts, insecurities and even a speech impediment. Was he qualified? Not by human standards. But did he say yes when God called? Yes. And God used that yes to lead a nation out of slavery and into freedom.

That’s the power of surrender. Moses didn’t just earn God’s trust with a flawless résumé—he earned it by being willing. Willing to obey. Willing to grow. Willing to serve. And through his obedience, he earned the trust of others, too.

Here’s the question: Of all God’s people, will you be one He can trust?

Because here’s the truth—your yes matters. If you want to earn God’s trust, say yes. If you want to earn the trust of those around you—your family, your team, your church—say yes. Not just once, but daily, because at the end of the day, the greatest thing God could say about us is this: “Of all My house, I trust that one.”