We live in an age of uncertainty.  Uncertainty about the economy.  Uncertainty about the election.  Uncertainty about COVID-19.  These uncertainties come and go and change over time.  One thing is for certain, often times we wonder whether someone is telling the truth or not.

Billy Joel released the song, “Honesty,” back in May 1979 that said that very thing.

If you search for tenderness
It isn’t hard to find
You can have the love you need to live
But if you look for truthfulness
You might just as well be blind
It always seems to be so hard to give

Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you

In every generation and in every nation, honesty is essential.  Truthfulness matters.

Jesus shared a powerful sermon in Matthew 5-7.  It is often referred to as the “Sermon on the Mount.”  In Matthew 5:33-37. Jesus shares why truthfulness matters.  Matthew 5:37, Jesus challenges us to be people of our word.  “Let what you say be simply ‘yes’ or ‘no’…”

For those of us who have be transformed by God’s grace and a faith relationship with Him, we are people of Truth.  We follow Him who is Truth (John 14:6).  We must reflect Truth in our lives.

This not our tendency.  Our tendency is to drift towards dishonesty.  While some drift towards excessive dishonesty, most are dishonest in subtle drifts.

Here are a few drifts we must reject in our lives that show truthfulness matters to us.

1.  I must reject the drift to categorize when it’s okay to tell the truth and when I can bend the truth.

The Jewish code of law is known as the Mishnah.  It contains a detailed list of rules to govern when oaths or promises are binding and when they are not. 

A half-truth is a deceptive statement that includes some element of truth. The statement might be partly true, the statement may be totally true but only part of the whole truth, or it may use some deceptive element, such as improper punctuation, or double meaning, especially if the intent is to deceive, evade, blame or misrepresent the truth.

If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything. – Mark Twain

There are times when we drift to categorize when it’s acceptable to lie.  When it’s right to tell a white lie or a big lie.  The reality is at the center of this drift is me.  Whenever it benefits me, I convince myself it’s okay to not be completely truthful.

2.  I must reject the drift to exaggerate or embellish.  In our conversations, we often drift to telling stories with an exaggerated slant.  Sometimes it is for the purpose of making an emphatic point. Like someone saying, “When I did so & so, I almost died.” 

But most times we exaggerate or embellish to present ourselves in a more glamourous light.

3. I must reject the drift to make empty promises.

Have you ever promised someone you will do something and then realize it required more than anticipated.  Consequently, we don’t fulfill the promise we make because it’s inconvenient? 

We tend to over promise and under deliver.  I am learning to promise low and produce high.

In what ways are you disovering truthfulness matters?

Teach me your way, O LORD, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. – Psalm 86:1