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Matthew 5:37 "But let your 'yes' mean 'yes,' and your 'no' mean 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one."
In Need of Honesty
Our culture needs honesty. The kind of honesty that speaks the truth, God's truth, not my truth or yours. Not just outside of the church but inside the church, too. We have all grown accustomed to affirmation, too used to agreement and too sensitive toward conflict. As a result, our ability to be honest with one another has taken a backseat. We justify ourselves, believing that with less honesty, we can have richer and more plentiful relationships, but how authentic, how godly can any relationship be without honesty?
Are you an honest person? Many of us claim the title, but that doesn't stop us from calling everyone we know a friend, even when we have just met them, or stop us from hiding criticism from the person who sorely needs to hear it. Then there are those who tell basic, unadulterated lies to avoid consequences. The number of truly honest people is less than those who claim such, even among believers. Yet, as Christians, we should forever strive to ensure our self-perceptions match reality. Jesus says to His followers, in Matthew 5:37 "But let your 'yes' mean 'yes,' and your 'no' mean 'no.' Anything more than this is from the evil one."
Today, we face the constant temptation of mixing our yes and no, all in an effort not to offend, get along and make peace. We strive to stay on everyone's good side and stray away from saying anything that would be considered "judging." Not only does Scripture make judgments and call us to do the same, but Scripture admonishes us to make honest judgments. We call a spade a spade, a woman a woman, and nothing in between. God's word says that in Proverbs 12:22 "Lying lips are detestable to the Lord" and that "faithful people are his delight"
Jesus caused offense in His day. Jewish leaders, the Romans and the Pharisees despised him. Society hated Jesus so much that He was crucified. Nonetheless, He spread the truth, knowing the consequences. His message continues today, and His teachings still offend now. We are called to live like Christ. When we do our lifestyles, our words and our actions will offend. There will be consequences. That is the natural outcome when we live counter-culturally to the world. But through Christ, we know the full impact of honesty. Honesty has the potential to bring confrontation, hurt and challenge, those things we are so desperate to avoid. Yet, honesty is what God desires from us. While that may bring some negative responses, there are a myriad of benefits as well, such as being faithful people that delight the Lord.
Intersecting Faith and Life
Maybe you're looking to reevaluate your life and become more honest, but you are still on the fence about why we should be honest. Wisdom and reason have yet to convince. Or maybe you need motivation to overcome some dishonest habits. By pursuing this character trait, here are some benefits you can expect:
Connection with God - Without honesty, we keep ourselves from having an authentic relationship with God. Scripture talks about confessing our sins and praying to the Lord. Dishonesty prevents us from doing either effectively. Conversely, when we are honest, we connect with God more often and on a deeper level. We receive that forgiveness for our sins because we genuinely ask.
-- Stronger Relationships - Honesty can break relationships, but those that crumble are not rooted in shared faith and values. On the contrary, godly relationships benefit from honesty because everyone stays on the same page and is open to genuine affirmation and loving accountability.
-- Discouragement of Sin - Without practicing honesty, we act as enablers of sin. There will be times when someone openly practicing sin will invite us in for affirmation, celebration or even just tolerance of their sin. That invitation is a place for us to be honest and call the sin, what God's Word says it is, sin. This doesn't mean that we use an aggressive, non-compassionate accusatory attitude, but this does mean that, if asked, we give them the truth.
-- Building Character - Honesty builds the character of those we interact with and our own because it forms us into people of integrity. We practice the same things we claim to live by. Moreover, honesty keeps us accountable to one another and God.
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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week's column comes from Rev. Don Grant of Hillview Wesleyan Church, Flemington.