2 Corinthians 4:2 (NKJV) "But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." We are living in a world which is basically untruthful and that is why it is so refreshing to hear honest speech, to see a clean lifestyle and to see self-sacrificing without any ambitious undertone. This world is desperate for the truth. Jesus says in John 17:17 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." Like never before people want the truth, they want it plain and they want it from the heart. Honesty is a great thing. We need to understand that the Lord will persevere with us as long as we are honest with Him. He is more than happy to forgive us from all our trespasses, our shortfalls and our mistakes if we come clean with Him and are honest. I don't know how many times I have said that to my children, just tell the truth. Honesty has got such a clean way about it. It is almost like that mouth wash that one uses after you have brushed your teeth each day. It gives a tinkling feeling in your mouth and honesty does the same thing. In a world that is so corrupt, sondishonest, so full of personal gain it is so nice and refreshing to hear someone speaking in honesty. That is what the church is looking for today and indeed the whole world. We need to be honest with each other and honest with ourselves before God and then we will have true liberty and power.
You see there is no such thing as a white lie. Honesty is to tell the truth without any apologies and a white lie is an untruth just like exaggeration is also a form of telling lies. Each one of us have got to be careful of that very shortfall. That is why the Gospel of Jesus Christ is such a cleansing book to read. Jesus spoke the truth in love all the time. He said "Blessed are the peace makers, not the peace lovers." A peace lover will tell a white lie or an untruth just to keep the peace but a peace maker will be as honest as the day is long and he will tell you exactly what he feels about you and what you need to do to get your life into order. The older I am getting the more I am realising people are wanting an honest answer. The problem is there are a very few people who have got the courage to tell the people in all honesty what the problem is. People do not have to like you, but they must respect you, which they will do if you are honest with them. They might not like the answer but they know deep down in their hearts that what you have told them is true and honest. They will respect you for that, more quickly than if you tell a lie and just try keep on their good side, because you will lose your friendship with them almost immediately when they find out. Remember the old saying that if you are going to tell an untruth you better have a good memory!
A.W. Tozer a great preacher said "Honesty that can be trusted and respected is a very fragrant flower in the life of the Christian." There was a time when a man could come onto your farm to purchase it, and the two of you would make an agreement by simply shacking hands and it was a "done deal". Nothing would change that. Unfortunately it is very sad to say that today those types of agreements are very few and far between. Yet I still believe there is plenty place for it especially for the believer to make a good example to the world that we are in fact different. Curtis Vaughan once said "One's mere word should be as trustworthy as a signed agreement attested by legal witnesses."
So let us as Godly men and women stand by our word. I can hear some of you as you read this column are saying, but what about the dishonest society that we live in? Well there is nothing we can do about that, but we can start by making sure that, "as for us and our family we will trust the Lord" ( Joshua 24:14)
