Why You Should Speak the Truth

 

“Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth…”

—1 Corinthians 13:6

Searching for an honest person? That’s what Diogenes of Sinope did. You may remember him from your high school history class. Among many counter-cultural things he did, he lit a lantern in daylight and walked through the marketplace. When asked what he was doing, he explained that he was looking for an honest man.

Honesty seems hard to find in our current American society. Whether it’s government, commerce, or just ordinary relationships, lies abound.

It has become culturally accepted, even expected, to tell lies.

The computer hard drives of seven key witnesses in the government IRS scandal mysteriously crashed and lost emails from the exact period that was the center point of the investigation.

The company that makes the new miracle drug or medical implant ends up as the defendant in a billion dollar lawsuit because of falsified test results.

Marriages or friendships dissolve because the two parties lie to each other instead of calmly talking through their difficulties.

Certain sales people lie so much they become a caricature—like car salesmen, for example.

Scripture talks much about the absolute value that God places on the truth. One of the reasons that Christianity is so hated by our culture is that it continually calls for truthfulness.

The Apostle Paul wrote about truth with these words recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:6-7:

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

So, love and truth are tightly linked together. Lies are simply not a part of love.

As we begin a new day, we need to examine our own lives and make certain we tell the truth in every situation. Yes, we should always wrap the truth in love. But, we should always—always—tell the truth

 

_{Copyright © 2014 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

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