Expectant father Ben Seewald, husband of Jessa Duggar from the former TLC reality show "19 Kids and Counting," discussed the real meaning of the word "trustworthy" when he recently shared one of his favorite Bible verses 1 Timothy 1:15.
The verse says: "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost."
"Think about what 'trustworthy' means," he wrote in the Seewald Family Blog. "We could say 'Worthy of Trust.' Sometimes we use this term to describe a faithful friend or a son or daughter who has shown [himself or herself] to be responsible. Praise God for good friends and responsible children! But even the most 'trustworthy' human, is still just a human."
Ben said there are circumstances out of people's control that disable them from being fully trustworthy—such as traffic and unexpected accidents. "We might trust them to bring the veggie tray to the party, and they might get stuck in traffic or perhaps an emergency comes up that is beyond their control," he said.
This is why the term "trustworthy" should only be used to describe God, since He is always true and never lies. Whatever God says, God does, and whatever the circumstance, He will always see His promises through, Ben said.
In fact, being completely "trustworthy" is beyond people's understanding. "Because we can't comprehend just how mighty and majestic God is, we can't even begin to understand the wonder that He would come into our world," said Ben.
But God did so because of His love for mankind—as flawed and wicked as they are. "This, my friends, is the best news in the universe!" declared Ben. "You may be trying to get your act together before you come to God. Maybe you are trying to be good enough so He will accept you. It won't work. There is nothing we can do to earn God's favor."
What people should do instead is repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. Once they do so, Ben assures that God will forgive them and "will give them rest for their souls."
