Why You HAVE to Tell the Truth
“Fake news” is a big topic right now. Is the media truthful? It’s probably a good time for us to ask that of ourselves: “Am I truthful?”
You will be known by your truthfulness. You will be respected by your truthfulness. Your business will be known by your truthfulness. Your marriage will continue only if you are truthful. Can you pass the “truth test?”
I’ve noticed in playing golf that there are some players who are very accurate in the score they report. Others call every putt under SIX FEET a “gimme!”
In a court of law, they ask you a sentence with three parts: “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”
Here is why they ask that:
1. Truth is accurately remembering the facts:
In the Bible, Aaron made the golden calf for Israel to worship. When Moses came down the mountain in anger, Aaron basically said, “The people gave me all their jewelry and I threw it all in the fire…and out came this CALF!”
People are smart. They figure stuff out. Your deceptive answer to their confrontation may sound good to you, but a lie smells like “something is rotten” to them.
Be quick to correct a wrong statement if you are tempted to deceive. It will help you to break the awful habit of lying and manipulation. “The truth will set you free.”
2. Truth is the “whole truth”:
Some people have “selective amnesia.” They only remember the facts that prove their point. They know how to leave out vital facts that might sway a person the other way.
Believe it or not, a “half-truth” is a lie. If I leave out a pertinent piece of information in order to sell someone on a product, they may buy your product but they will go on Facebook and ruin your business!
Make it a point in marriage to never conceal any secrets from your partner. When they discover it, their confidence in you is gone. Honest confession of a mistake or even a sin is a far better policy in relationships that the silence of deception.
“Make it a point in marriage to never conceal any secrets from your partner”
3. Truth is “nothing but the truth”—
It’s easy to “stretch the truth.” It is embellishing the truth with exaggeration. If a witness gets on the stand and dramatizes something that never happened, they could sway a jury and endanger an innocent person for life. “Just the facts, man.”
Lying is insecurity. You believe that you must impress people or they will not respect you. You create images and stories with no foundation so that you can “one-up” a rival or competitor.
NEVER LIE:
Don’t lie for a friend.
Don’t lie to get away.
Don’t lie to save money.
Don’t lie to keep from being embarrassed.
Don’t lie to save face.
Don’t be “FAKE.” It’s a bad word these days. Be real, honest, and genuine. Truth is pleasing to God…and brings favor with man.
