Being Honest
“The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
Proverbs 12:22
Truth is the standard we should use to define and describe our lives. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear the words from God, “He lived and told the truth”? Actually, that’s not too noble because it is the standard laid out in Scripture for believers. Ephesians 4:25 says, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” That’s one of many passages that speak to the topic of truthfulness.
In April, as tax day approaches, individuals, families, and businesses usually do their best to demonstrate how “little” income they had for the past year, hoping to pay the least amount of tax legally. This makes sense.
However, the same people with the same income will do everything they can to inflate their income and worth when applying for a loan. The income hasn’t changed, but it’s expressed differently depending on who you’re talking to or what you’re trying to accomplish.
Due diligence and working hard is not the point. The point is this: we are to live the truth, speak the truth, and encourage the truth.
A couple of encouraging verses about truth:
1 John 3:18 — “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Ephesians 6:14 — “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.”