Bible Verse: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)
Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:1-7; Matthew 5:33-37
In John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, concerning “The Law of Solid Ground,” he says, “The solid ground is solid character, living with integrity, authenticity, and discipline. Trust is the foundation of leadership. It is earned or it isn’t. Character is the source of trust. We build our character by being scrupulously honest, even when it hurts. To be authentic, we must be ourselves with everyone, not pretending to be something that we aren’t.”
There is a lot of “spin” in this world, people trying to make something sound different than it really is. There are also a lot of lies, exaggerations, misinformation, and cover-ups.
Where is the truth? Who will speak it?
Ephesians 4:15 says to speak the truth in love. We are to be men who tell the truth, even when it may hurt us or not advance our cause. People need to know that they can count on what we say when we speak. Our “yes” will be “yes,” and our “no” will be “no” (Matthew 5:37).
But we must also do this in love (Ephesians 4:15). Sometimes, we can be tempted to use the truth to beat someone else down.
Maybe your son did poorly on a test. How can you work with him in a way that tells the truth but also builds him up?
Maybe your daughter made a terrible decision about a boy. How can you help her to grow in the situation without crushing her spirit?
Maybe your colleagues at work need to improve their efforts. How can you use your words to motivate them rather than belittle them?
The world needs more truth-tellers.
Will you be one who always tells the truth? And will you speak it in love?
Prayer: Dear Lord, You always speak the truth to me. You never pull punches. You never exaggerate. You never lie. But You always speak it in a way that ultimately builds me up. You always speak the truth to me in love. Help me to be more like You. I want to be a truth-teller. I confess my lies to You. I confess my exaggerations, misinformation, and bending of the truth. Forgive me for my falsehoods. Help me to be an honest man. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: How are you at truth-telling? Do you do what you say? Do you stretch the truth to make yourself look better? Do you only tell part-truths to spin the story a certain way? When is it most challenging for you to be completely honest? How might you do better?
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