Trust can feel like a fragile thing in the workplace, especially when everything around you is shifting. Whether it’s a change in leadership, restructuring, or even the quiet tension of unspoken uncertainty, many women in the workplace find themselves wondering: Who can I trust right now? Or more honestly: Can I trust anyone right now?

A 2023 study by McKinsey found that more than 60% of employees feel uncertain about their company’s direction, a feeling that directly contributes to lower engagement and productivity. When we feel unsure about who we can rely on—or whether our workplace values align with our own—it becomes harder to focus, connect, and lead with confidence.

Trust is more than a feeling. It’s a framework. And like any good structure, it has key components that help it stand firm when everything else starts to wobble. For Christian women in the workplace, trust isn’t just a strategy—it’s a spiritual discipline, rooted in a relationship with God and reflected in our relationships with others.

So how can we rebuild or strengthen trust when it feels like everything is in flux? Let’s explore together.

A Faith-Based Anchor: Trust

Trust isn’t just a nice workplace perk—it’s a spiritual discipline. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

This passage doesn’t ask us to trust only when we can see the outcome or when the team is performing well. It calls us to trust even in uncertainty. Especially in uncertainty.

The good news? Trust isn’t blind. It can be built—with God, and with each other.

To understand how we can practically foster trust in our workplaces, let’s look at The 4 Factors of Trust identified by organizational psychologist Charles Feltman:

1. Sincerity
2. Reliability
3. Competence
4. Care

These four traits help us define what trustworthy behavior looks like—and what it takes to trust others well.

1. Sincerity: Walking in Truth and Transparency

Sincerity is about honesty. It’s when your words match your actions, and when people believe you’re saying what you truly mean.

In the workplace, sincerity builds trust because it cuts through confusion. When someone communicates openly—whether that’s a manager owning up to a mistake or a teammate clarifying expectations—it creates space for trust to grow.

Faith Check-In: Jesus said, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No'” (Matthew 5:37). That’s sincerity in action. And it starts with us.

Try this: Begin a faith-based journaling practice to ask, “Where can I be more honest with God, with myself, and with my team?” Invite the Holy Spirit to show you.

2. Reliability: Showing Up with Consistency

When coworkers know they can count on you to do what you say you’ll do, trust builds. Reliability turns trust from a warm feeling into a sturdy bridge.

But we’re human. We miss deadlines. We overbook. We drop balls. That’s why grace and communication matter. Owning your limits doesn’t make you less reliable—it makes you more trustworthy.

Faith Check-In: Jesus encourages us in Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” We don’t have to control everything—we just need to show up faithfully today.

Try this: Invite a prayer partner into your week. Share your to-do list and ask for accountability and prayer for the strength to show up well.

3. Competence: Offering Your Best with Humility

Competence isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about offering the skills, wisdom, and experience you do have—with a teachable heart.

When your team sees that you know your craft and you’re open to growth, they trust you more. And when you seek their input? Trust grows both ways.

Faith Check-In: Colossians 3:23 encourages us to “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” Excellence is a form of worship.

Try this: Set aside 10 minutes this week to affirm a colleague’s strengths. Text them, tell them, email them. Honor their competence and build trust.

4. Care: Leading with Empathy and Compassion

This is where trust comes to life. Care is about showing others that they matter—not just for what they do, but for who they are.

When a coworker feels seen and supported, they trust you more deeply. And in times of workplace change, care becomes the glue that holds a team together.

Faith Check-In: In Matthew 6:26, Jesus reminds us, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” That’s the heart of care: seeing the value in others because God sees it in us.

Try this: Ask one colleague this week how they’re really doing. Then listen without rushing to respond. Sometimes trust is built simply by being present.

Trusting God When the Ground Shifts

Of course, trust in the workplace isn’t just about people. It’s about entrusting our fears, our careers, and our outcomes to God.

When leadership changes, deadlines feel impossible, or layoffs loom, we don’t always get to choose the circumstances. But we can choose who we trust.

Jesus modeled this perfectly in Matthew 6:25-34, urging us not to worry but to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” In other words, trust God first. Then move forward.

Try this: The next time workplace anxiety rises, take one minute to pause and pray this breath prayer:

Inhale: Lord, I trust You.
Exhale: Direct my next step.

Practical Takeaways: How to Cultivate Trust at Work

To build trust IN others:

• Assume positive intent before jumping to conclusions.
• Listen more than you speak.
• Celebrate a teammate’s win without comparing it to your own.
• Choose grace when someone drops the ball.

To become more trustworthy yourself:

• Communicate early and honestly.
• Ask for help before you hit a breaking point.
• Do what you say you’ll do—or explain why you can’t.
• Pray for God to make you a trustworthy leader.

You don’t need to be perfect to build trust. You just need to show up with sincerity, reliability, competence, and care. And trust that God is working through your presence more than your performance.

Because even when the workplace feels uncertain, our God never is.

Since 2013, Jordan has helped 4word tell its story and live out its mission through 4word’s digital content. She is the host of 4word’s podcasts, Work, Love, Pray and Driven 4word. Jordan also writes and coordinates the weekly 4word blogs and emails, and oversees the social media team.

When not writing for 4word, Jordan enjoys working on her latest book idea, catching up on the latest episode of Supernatural, and going “Pin crazy” on Pinterest as she and her family dream about homestead living. Jordan holds a BS in Advertising and Public Relations from Liberty University and an MFA in Creative Writing from Full Sail University. She lives in Monroe, Georgia, with her husband, DJ, and their young children.