Truth Be Told
Written by Tina McKeown
There are many Bible verses that remind us not to lie. For example, Proverbs 12:22 says “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” Colossians 3:9 likewise states “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.”
But to be totally, truthfully honest, I still sometimes catch myself in a little lie especially when someone asks me ‘how are you doing?’. Do I really always answer honestly? Do you always answer honestly? Would answering this truthfully reveal that we do not have it all together, that we hurt, that we have days where we do not feel fine, when we are broken?
Now, I sometimes come up with ways around having to share the deepest feelings I have while still being honest. When someone asks ‘how are you?’ I shift the focus on the good thing, for example ‘work is fine’. While there is some benefit to it, like knowing there is always something positive in our life, that God still has us and there is always goodness even in our darkest days, or just being a little more appropriate (as I would not be able to share my deepest feelings with a contractor that came in for the first time), there is also a beauty in sharing with others that we are not perfect. We are all broken.
So, when I was thinking about being more honest, I was thinking about 4 truths that helped me:
1) It stops the culture of trying to be always perfect because none of us are. We all need saving. We all have short comings. And we all need Jesus. As it says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”.
2) If we are honest and open with others we can get support. John 13:34 says “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
3) If we are honest with others we will also be honest with ourselves and in front of God – the most important point in my opinion. Psalm 32:5 says ‘Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.’
4) It can help us to relate to others. When we share our stories – the times we have been the most broken – others might feel more open about sharing their story with us, and we can tell them that we made it through.
And that doesn’t have to be anything big. Recently in conversation, it came up that I used to swear a lot when I first moved to Scotland until the Lord corrected me on this. But when I was talking to this colleague about it, he realised that I am also very flawed, and you do not have to be perfect to be a Christian. It started conversations about church and faith, and I hope and pray that they will continue.
I hope that this may be an encouragement to you today – truth be told!
This song has been on repeat on my way to work most days because it challenges me to be more honest: