On Truth Telling
“I tell you the truth,” is a happy translation for the word “amen.” “Truly, truly,” is pretty good too.
Doesn’t it always sound nice to hear Jesus start a statement by, “I tell you the truth…?” He rightly identified himself as the way, the TRUTH and the life.
As you know, truth has taken a beating. People are not even sure there is such a thing as truth. They think that truth is simply a cultural construct determined by a person’s point of view. Our culture is driven by a statement that is impossibly contradictory, “There is no such thing as truth.”
Our entire faith depends both on the existence of truth and that God embodies it. Every truth grows out of the nature of God.
Satan lies. He is the father of lies. Scripture identifies “Liar-ish” as his native tongue.
As a servant of the Truth, you must strive to tell the truth. Always.
Of course this is hard to do. And the harder you try, the bigger bugaboo you will find truth telling to be. But as a forgiven, restored servant, strive you must.
Because you follow and represent The Truth, Jesus, you must win a reputation for truth telling. People who fib about one thing will fib about another thing. If your witness will have any whack, people must be able to trust what you say, always. Being a person of truth will open opportunities to witness to The Truth.
Beware the encroachment of falsehood in the following areas.
Watch Statistics and Reports
Falsehood creeps in when you are asked about how things are going. You will be tempted to inflate the figures just a bit. If you have an average weekly client contact rate of 22, you will be tempted to say it is 25. If have an increase in your productivity rate of 1.6%, you will be tempted to claim one of 2%. Have you heard the old canard? “Figures lie and liars figure.” Force yourself to avoid exaggeration and statistic inflation. Be careful with statistics and reports especially where rounding is involved. Brutal and thorough honesty in this area, which is so tough to pull off, will keep truth telling at the center of your radar. While rounding up or down is a legitimate practice, be careful that it does not become a gateway to falsehood.
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due
If you get an idea for a project or a program or a solution from someone else, make sure that you credit the source. Or at least do not try to pass it off as your own work. Giving false impressions of what is your work is lying.
Don’t Make Excuses
When you are wrong about something or could not complete something, do not make excuses for it. Admit it. Correct it. But don’t make excuses. Excuse making tends to bend the truth and reconstruct the past. That’s lying.
Don’t Lie to Spare People’s Feelings
Lies often pop up because someone doesn’t want to hurt another’s feelings. Instead of telling the truth, we deceive the person with the supposed goal of being nice to that person? Remember, Scripture enjoins us to speak the truth in love. There is no notion of speaking a lie in love. Lying to a person with the supposed goal of “sparing feelings” is like throwing a life vest with an anchor attached to it to a drowning person.
Silence is Golden
One of the best ways to stay on track with the truth is to keep quiet. Instead of telling someone you like her hat when you don’t, keep your mouth shut. Instead of making an excuse for why you cannot join a friend’s social event when the truth is you just need some down time, simply thank him for the invitation and then kindly decline it—no explanation is required. Instead of making something up about a confidential situation with one colleague when asked by another, demure by saying that you are not at liberty to comment about it—because you are not.
Remember the Home Front
Be vigilant as a truth teller at home. This includes doing what you say you will do and being where you say you will be. Be forthright with your spouse about all things except those things that are confidential, and in that case be silent. Never deceive your children in order to get them to behave or eat or sleep. Never.
A good reputation is a great treasure. Reputations are won, not given. Make sure that you win a reputation for being a truth teller. Jesus had that reputation. As his follower, you must too.
Few things derail a journey on the path toward significance quicker than falsehoods.