Honest Endeavors

Honest Endeavors

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

I thought my dad coined the phrase “the truth shall set you free” because he believed in total honesty. If I came home after curfew, it was much better to tell the truth and suffer the consequences than tell a lie and add that offense to the other. The punishment would always be less if I told the truth than if I had made up an excuse. And my parents would know if I made up an excuse—they seemed to have spies out in the streets reporting back to them about my every move. I learned to live by the concept of “no excuses, no explanations.”

I eventually learned that Dad’s words were actually a quote from Jesus—and that God is even more interested in my truthfulness than Dad was. Jesus was talking primarily about the importance of learning the truth—the eternal truth of His teaching—but the principle of speaking truth applies to our own words too. God knows that skirting the rules will always come back to hurt us, and our dishonesty will always catch up with us. Whether we’re actually doing something illegal or simply cutting corners ethically, the short-term win is never worth the long-term cost. Honesty really is the best policy.

Of course, knowing that our dishonesty will catch up with us is poor motivation for telling the truth. It’s better to tell the truth because it’s the right thing to do—and because we want to be known as people of integrity. We want others to be able to count on us, we want to set a good example for the young people in our lives, and we want to be looked to for guidance and direction. Most of all, we should want to glorify the God who is the source of truth. We were designed to be reflections of Him. When we don’t relate to Him and others in honesty, we’re missing our purpose.

The truth really will set you free. Lies are hard to maintain. A pattern of lying can be exhausting. If you want to live in freedom, practice seeking truth in every area of your life—including your own words.

Uncommon Key > Truth—learning it from God and speaking it to others—is the key to living in freedom.