Speak the Truth—Two2Grow, Saturday, August 1
Speak the Truth—Two2Grow, Saturday, August 1
“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” Proverbs 24:26 NIV
We are living in an era of lies. It is hard to know what is real and what is fake, who is genuine and who is a deceiver.
Several years ago, I was overseeing a ministry, and the man I relied on the most to keep things running, oversee the finances, and so on turned out to be a pathological liar. It was a very difficult and painful time when I found out. He was so skilled in deception that if there had been an Olympic medal for lying, he would have been a clear contender for first place.
Fundamental to every relationship is trust. Without trust, we cannot feel safe. We will constantly be on guard against being hurt and cannot give ourselves completely to another person. But lies destroy trust and thus hinder any deep relationship.
God is a God of truth, and truth builds and nourishes trust.
Speaking the truth, even when it is difficult, sometimes comes at the cost of making ourselves uncomfortable. But our momentary uneasiness must be weighed against the long-term reward of building trust.
A pastor friend of mine struggled with exaggeration (a temptation for many of us preachers!). He decided that every time he caught himself doing that, he would immediately stop and tell the person, "I'm sorry. That was not true." Then he would go on to correct what he had just said. He shared with me that the first couple of times he did that were so embarrassing that he quickly learned not to exaggerate anymore!
Decide today to practice truth-speaking. Declare war against lies, half-truths, and white lies. If you know that something you've said or wrote on social media was not true, be quick to repent so that trust will continue to grow in your relationships.
Father, forgive me every time I have spoken things that were not true. Help me to develop trusting relationships and speak the truth even when it makes me uncomfortable. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD
We are living in an era of lies. It is hard to know what is real and what is fake, who is genuine and who is a deceiver.
Several years ago, I was overseeing a ministry, and the man I relied on the most to keep things running, oversee the finances, and so on turned out to be a pathological liar. It was a very difficult and painful time when I found out. He was so skilled in deception that if there had been an Olympic medal for lying, he would have been a clear contender for first place.
Fundamental to every relationship is trust. Without trust, we cannot feel safe. We will constantly be on guard against being hurt and cannot give ourselves completely to another person. But lies destroy trust and thus hinder any deep relationship.
God is a God of truth, and truth builds and nourishes trust.
Speaking the truth, even when it is difficult, sometimes comes at the cost of making ourselves uncomfortable. But our momentary uneasiness must be weighed against the long-term reward of building trust.
A pastor friend of mine struggled with exaggeration (a temptation for many of us preachers!). He decided that every time he caught himself doing that, he would immediately stop and tell the person, "I'm sorry. That was not true." Then he would go on to correct what he had just said. He shared with me that the first couple of times he did that were so embarrassing that he quickly learned not to exaggerate anymore!
Decide today to practice truth-speaking. Declare war against lies, half-truths, and white lies. If you know that something you've said or wrote on social media was not true, be quick to repent so that trust will continue to grow in your relationships.
Father, forgive me every time I have spoken things that were not true. Help me to develop trusting relationships and speak the truth even when it makes me uncomfortable. Amen.
Pastor Mikael Stenhammar, PhD