Five Guidelines to Embrace for Doing Life Today – Speak Truthfully
Greetings All!
The winner of last week’s book giveaway is Tammy Kennington. Tammy won a copy of Annie Yorty’s new book, From Ignorance to Bliss. Congratulations Tammy! You will find this week’s book giveaway (a novel) at the end of today’s post.
On to Part 3 in the series I’m writing about the benediction my pastor often uses to close our services:
As you go…
Live Simply
Love Generously
Speak Truthfully
Care Deeply
Pray Daily
And leave the rest to God.
Speak Truthfully is the guideline we’re focusing on today. Live Simply and Love Generously were introduced previously.
Speak Truthfully
“To Thine Own Self be True” proclaimed the large lettering above the double entrance to the high school my three kids attended. Words I didn’t mind them meditating on during the peer-pressured years of high school. How I prayed they stay true to themselves, their opinions, their beliefs and learnings, and not be swayed to jump on the bandwagon of popular thinking.
These words from long ago still find space in modern culture, although today they are used in context with honesty and authenticity. Being who we present ourself as being. Authentic verses pretentious and hypocritical; transparent rather than deceitful.
It’s been said we must be truthful with ourselves before we can be truthful with others. The Bible concurs with this thinking:
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body (Ephesians 4:25).
The Barnes Commentary explains the verse this way:
For we [Christians] are members one of another – We belong to one body – the church – which is the body of Christ. The idea is that falsehood tends to loosen the bonds of brotherhood. In the “human body” harmony is observed. The eye never deceives the hand, nor the hand the foot, nor the heart the lungs. The whole move harmoniously as if the one could put the utmost confidence in the other – and falsehood in the church is as ruinous to its interests as it would be to the body if one member was perpetually practicing deception.
Barnes, Albert. Ephesians. Barnes Notes on the Old and New Testaments. Blackie and Son, 1884.
It begins with me. Do I have integrity? How integrated is the outward me with what’s going on inside me? How whole and complete am I?
It begins with me. Do I have integrity? How integrated is the outward me with what’s going on inside me? How whole and complete am I? #integrity #honesty Share on XStaying true to ourselves must be a priority number one for us to speak truthfully in all other things.
So that’s my take on this week’s guideline—Speak Truthfully. So many slants could be taken with this broad topic.
It’s hard, if not impossible, to never lie. We don’t like hurting others’ feelings. Sometimes a greater good is served with a lie as when Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife. Are there situations when it’s okay to lie? I don’t have the answer to that question but I’d love hearing your thoughts.
This week’s giveaway! Our Faithful Love by LuAnn K. Edwards. I met LuAnn through an online community of writers. I loved this book set in nearby-to-me, Tennessee! LuAnn writes Christian fiction. Connect with her and learn more about her books at luannkedwards.com.
To be entered in the giveaway, drop a comment in the section below. *The email address you leave when commenting is never collected or shared.
Thanks for reading! Next time we’ll take a look at “Care Deeply.”
Immersed in His Love,
Candyce
Let me speak truthfully here, Candyce. I am happy you loved my book! Thanks so much for your encouragement!
And thank you so much for yours, LuAnn.
I love your pastor’s benediction, Candace.
The answer to your question is tricky. I’m reminded of how Corrie Ten Boom felt remorse when she lied about hiding people from the Gestapo yet she stayed true to God’s stance on the value of life.
Blessings,
Tammy
Exactly! I’m sure there are many similar situations people have faced. If we follow God, I think He will impress on us the correct form of action.
What a lovely benediction that I’d like to be true of my life.
Isn’t it lovely and worthy of striving for. Thank you, Debbie.
I think I deceive myself when I think I don’t lie or tell falsehoods. We all are guilty and I think it starts with admitting this to ourselves. We must learn to speak the truth in love to ourselves and those around us. Thanks for the reminder Candyce
It’s easy to deceive ourselves when it comes to “little white lies” but we all do it for a variety of reasons. Let’s seek forgiveness and do better tomorrow. Thank you, Yvonne.
You went in a different direction than I assumed when I read the title, Candyce. But I think you hit the nail on the head. Our hearts and outward presentation must mesh before we can hope to speak truth. Great job!
Thanks, Annie. Self truth is vital to a rewarding and service-oriented Christian life. I appreciate your comments.
Love your take on this subject. Whenever I hear someone state “I never lie!” I always think “Well, you just did!” 🤷🏼♀️ Folks fail to realize how saying what they know someone wants to hear, placating them with no real intention of following through, is actually ‘lying’. Like telling a fussy child that “we’ll do (x-y-z) later; just not right now” to receive the desired behavior. I agree, too, that’s it’s humanly impossible to NEVER lie. But hey! Repent daily and walk as closely in Jesus’ steps as you can, and it won’t become the norm! (I’m going back to read your first two; somehow I missed them!)
Thank you Wanda for your great input. We do the best we can on any given day. Seek forgiveness for our failures, and like you said, turn away from our sin. Jesus loves us.
Thanks for reading and adding your thoughts.
Great advice, Katherine, to pray before responding. It certainly isn’t an either/or issue. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Blessings to you!
Amen Ms. Candyce. As I was reading, the words of Jeremiah 17:9-10 rang out. Our hearts host our true selves, and our actions give testimony to what, and Who, is housed there. Being true to oneself must be so difficult for young people today because it seems they are being fed lies and deception at every turn. If we parents and grandparents don’t display and teach godliness through our lives and in our homes, then I fear we will have a lost generation. God’s blessings ma’am, and thank you for speaking truth and for living it out in your life.
That is excellent Scripture to meditate on, J.D. Our heart is deceitful above all else. That’s why it’s important to follow Paul’s exhortation in 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “…demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
I worry about young people today also – so many are choosing to be unchurched.
I have often thought about is it okay to lie sometimes. Rahab hid the spies and because she told a falsehood she saved their lives. This is a narrow margin and we shouldn’t use it to make excuses to tell a lie for our own gain. But I think saving a life is more important than the technicality of whether a transgression from the truth was given.
I agree. Sometimes we have to look at the greater good and the Bible provides examples of those whose lies benefited mankind. Praying continually will help us make those difficult decisions.
I agree–it’s a challenge to determine whether to speak truth and hurt someone’s feelings, not be entirely honest, or avoid responding at all. My only advice is to pray before responding and remember that we are to love others as ourselves in all aspects of our lives. Each situation is unique and I don’t believe it’s possible to have a universal answer to the question you pose. Thank you for this message on truth and your thought provoking question. Blessings!