My colleague missed the deadline for submitting his part of our project. When I asked our leader how long I should wait, he told me to turn in what I had put together, for my partner would probably never come through. “It’s unfortunate,” he said, “but he isn’t dependable.”

“Not dependable” is a terrible tag. We may be attracted to star qualities such as beauty and brains, but a person will most likely value our characteristic of faithfulness. Consider the friends and co-workers you cherish. They may not be the flashiest or most successful, but you treasure them because you know you can count on them. They always show up.

Mark was a rising star in the early Christian church, but he bailed on Paul and Barnabas midway through their first missionary journey (Acts 13:13). Paul refused to take Mark on his second trip, for the job was hard enough without having to worry about having a quitter on board (Acts 15:37-38).

Proverbs 25:19 says that an unreliable person is like a “lame foot.” A bad leg may look fine when you’re sitting down, but it wobbles and might even collapse when you stand up and try to walk. I think unreliable people are more like broken legs, which always let you down.

How about you? You can’t choose your God-given gifts, and you can’t will yourself to possess ones you don’t have. But you can choose to simply show up. When a potential employer checks your references, do they say you’re dependable? Do you always follow through?

It’s not too late. As Paul languished in a Roman dungeon, he told Timothy: “Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). Mark finally showed up, and Paul leaned on him in the end.

NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Mark 6:14-29