You may think I’m over-emphasising the importance of truth and focusing on it too strongly. I don’t think so. It is at the centre and it holds everything together. That’s why apostle Paul, in Ephesians chapter 6, refers to the “belt of truth”. It holds all …
Read MoreThe hardest form of truth – being honest with yourself
It is very rare to find people who are willing to be brutally honest with themselves. Most people cannot even see the issue here. The point is that the person to whom we lie the most is ourselves. Our own hearts lie to us and …
Read MoreThe need to be truthful is one of God’s main ways of guiding you – it makes it easier to decide what to do, because it automatically rules out every dishonest option, thus narrowing the choice
We all struggle at times to know God’s will and to get clear guidance from Him as to what steps we should take in complicated or difficult situations. However, one of the clearest forms of guidance God has given us this general principle of truthfulness, …
Read MoreWinning without lying
God wants us to be overcomers. He wants us to succeed in life, to win our battles, and to overcome the problems that we come up against. So it’s true that God wants His people to be winners. However, for success to be real it …
Read MoreWhen lies are used as weapons or to gain a competitive advantage
Although God is calling us to live lives of absolute truthfulness, the reality is that most of the people around us, and maybe even we ourselves, use lies as weapons. They are used routinely: a) to damage and undermine others who may be rivals, competitors …
Read MoreAn example of a preacher who was not honest in handling God’s Word
In spite of all that, the mishandling of God’s Word, and even outright dishonesty while preaching and teaching, are far more common than most of us would ever imagine. I can think of a particular leader, some years ago, who gave a series of talks …
Read MoreHonesty in preaching and in teaching the Bible
Some might imagine that this point would not even need to be made, because, if a man is sufficiently mature and motivated to preach or teach the Bible then he would surely never lie, exaggerate, dodge issues or be misleading. If only that was true. …
Read MoreHonesty in business or at work
God also hates to see trickery and falseness in our business dealings: A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,but a just weight is His delight. Proverbs 11: 1(NASB) God detests cheating and every kind of scheme to swindle other people, whether they are …
Read MoreWhat about exaggeration?
Exaggeration is very common, but it is still lying. and it is a trait which can easily become a habit. It can be like the thin end of a wedge. Exaggeration is often seen as a more acceptable form of lying. It isn’t. It’s actually …
Read MoreWe don’t always have to answer the questions people ask us
One of the things that has caused me difficulty for many years is knowing what to do when asked a difficult question where I am not yet entitled, or willing, to reveal the truth, but where I may not tell a lie either. Often the …
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