Day 39: Speak the Truth in Love

By t.pep.me | February 8, 2014 |

Proverbs 8:7

My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.

Principle

When a man’s entire life is built upon lies, telling the truth is not an option nor a moral code.

Our grandfathers lived in a time when there was a man code – a baseline of understanding that a man’s word was his bond. In other words, if a man said it, you could bank on it. Now, it seems that very few men operate with this code of conduct.

That’s so unfortunate -it makes us approach every conversation with a suspicious investigation. We look for signs of deceit – body language, nuances, facial expressions – anything that can determine whether or not this person is speaking honestly.

Now, mendacity is the norm. Some politicians spin their news conference with double-speak (saying the very opposite of what they are actually doing). Some businessmen have mastered manipulation. Some of our elite athletes have been caught creating elaborate schemes to deceive. Each seared conscious would argue it is for the higher good that they lie – as Jack Nicholson’s character in, A Few Good Men famously yelled, “You can’t handle the truth!”

Wisdom speaks truthfully. It is wise for us to watch over our words and be honest. It is a moral code that will guard us against deception – not just the deception of others but the deception of ourselves.