“The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.”
Proverbs 12:22
In a world, full of false people and lovers of wickedness, embracing honesty and righteousness is rare. The Bible talks about the significance of honesty in the eyes of God and leading us to be trustworthy children of God.
Honesty is all about being truthful and speaking true words. It’s not a half-truth or truth mixed with a little lie. It’s the full truth from the heart.
God wants us to be honest and trustworthy because He is The truth. Lies don’t live in Christ, lies are far away from the presence of God. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(John 14:6)
WHY IS IT HARD TO BE HONEST?
Not all want to be dishonest or speak false, but all are naturally dishonest (Jeremiah 9:5). All of this started in the Garden of Eden when man sinned against God. Now, we can’t go back and change what happened in the garden, but, we can change the effects of that sin today. Now, let’s see why we are not honest.
The main reason for not being honest is fear. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, fear of being judged. We all don’t want to hurt people or offend them or lose them. Right? but building a relationship on the foundation of false words is not going to last longer.
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Dishonesty wins the approval of people, wealth, and making someone happy or making you happy, but that’s all false and temporary. It’s going to collapse one day. “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel.” (Proverbs 20:17)
Another thing is lies are not from the Lord, but they’re from the devil. The Bible says “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)
The devil is the father of lies. It’s his native language. The one who is not honest should understand that it is the character of the devil. But the one who speaks the truth and is honest represents Christ.
WHY SHOULD WE BE HONEST?
As believers, we are called to imitate God’s character. Honesty is a reflection of His truthfulness and righteousness. By being honest, we honor our Heavenly Father and display His nature to the world.
God is always honest, even if people are hurt or disappointed. God is not afraid of people’s responses to His decisions. He loves everyone, but He doesn’t lie or use sugar-coated words to make you feel happy. God is not a man that He would lie (Numbers 23:19). He is the truth and there is no place for lies in Jesus. (John 14:6)
We must be honest because God doesn’t like lying lips. “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” (Proverbs 12:22)
Honesty is the foundation of healthy relationships. Honesty will free you from the burden of lies and the fear of exposure. It will help you live authentically and experience the joy of genuine relationships and inner peace.
Honesty will not only help you, but also, your surrounding people, your spouse, your family, and your friends. They will be able to trust you for life advice and transparent conversations.
The Bible verses that tell us to be honest:
- Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
- Proverbs 16:11 – “Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord; all the weights in the bag are of his making.”
- Colossians 3:9-10 – “Do not lie to each other since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
- Psalm 15:2 – “Those who walk blamelessly and do what is right and speak the truth from their heart.
- Luke 16:10 – “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
- Proverbs 16:28 – A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
HOW TO BE HONEST?
We, children of God, depend on God for everything. We have Holy Spirit, who is our Guide and Helper. Holy Spirit will lead us to be the person that God wants us to be. Honesty is one of God’s attributes and to have it in our lives, we need to ask for help from the Holy Spirit. It’s not a one-day process, it takes strong commitment.
Ask Lord to remove the fear of people’s responses to your true words. Trust in the Lord. Fear is not from the Lord. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Keep in mind that at certain times honesty will hurt some people but knowing that you are following what God has told you will make you more trustworthy in the end.
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