By Grace Sweeney
Honesty:
Adherence to the facts; fairness and straight-forwardness of conduct.
(Miriam-Webster)
“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” (Colossians 1:9)
“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” (Ephesians 4:25)
There are many Scriptures that speak on honesty. It is such an important thing for us to adhere to. Dishonesty has been around ever since Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden and God has warned us many times in His Word of the dangers of lying and deceit.
We live in a dishonest world, where truth is not valued. There are lies on every corner. Deception is rampant. It’s important that we be people of honesty, so that those around us can see a difference and be drawn to Christ. It’s important for us as Christians to learn how to live differently than the world, so that we can be a light.
In such a sinful world, it’s sometimes hard to know what exactly honesty is. God tells us what it is in His Word, but we need constant reminders so that we don’t fall into the way of the world.
For example, the world tries to assure us that white lies are okay, it’s just a little lie. What harm can it do?
It can do a lot of harm. “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends” (Proverbs 16:28). Even a small lie can separate friends. Dishonesty in any form is complete evil.
What does complete honesty mean?
Honesty means not lying, obviously.
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
We are not to speak falsely in anything. Even if it would only be a “small” lie, we must avoid lying at all cost. Lies grow and a tiny white lie can soon spiral out of control. “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,” so let us keep our tongues under control and only speak the truth so that we may be true representatives of Him.
Being honest doesn’t just mean not lying with our mouth. We lie in other ways, more often than we realize. In order to be people of honesty, we have to be constantly on guard for any way Satan is tempting us to lie.
We can lie by not saying anything, by omitting an important detail. It’s not a spoken lie, but it’s a lie just the same. Being vague and misleading about something we want to hide is just as deceitful and wrong as a huge, elaborate lie is.
Or maybe we say nothing, letting other people assume something is true when it’s not. We didn’t verbally mislead them, but because we didn’t speak up with the truth, it’s still a lie.
Or we can lie with how we act. We can act different than we really are to get someone to like us, or to get attention. That is also a lie. Not a verbal one, again, but a lie we are living. And that may be worse than a spoken lie, in the end.
There are so many ways to lie it would take hours to detail them all. The Father of Lies has infiltrated every part of this life and we must be on guard against his temptations by being immersed in the Word of God and following Him so closely that we can resist his temptations.
When you’re tempted to lie, remember that it never ends well and it is never completely hidden. It might not be “found out” by someone in your lifetime, but God knows, and on Judgement Day He will remember, even if no one else does.
You may or may not know the story of Ananias and Sapphira. This couple sold their field and decided together to keep some of the money for themselves, while giving the rest to God. It would have been fine if they had been open and honest about keeping back some of the money, but instead they claimed that what they gave was all the money the field had sold for. They tried to lie to God. God killed them on the spot for “lying to the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:1-11).
Lying is a serious thing and not something we want to engage in. Ever.
Honesty pleases God, and it will make you and those around you happier as well. This world is filled with darkness and dishonesty, but if we are to be children of light, we must learn to be honest now.
Start today. Make sure, in everything you do, that you are completely open with people. Honesty doesn’t come easily because of our sinful nature, but prayer and the power of God in your life will transform you into a person of honesty. Complete honesty.
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