Be Truthful!

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

The Lord detests lying lips but delights in those who tell the truth.  Proverbs 12:22 NLT  

WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT TRUTHFULNESS 

The above verse succinctly captures God’s thoughts about truthfulness versus untruthfulness.  The verse clearly explains what God detests and in what God delights regarding truth and lying.

This verse indicates that God detests lying.  Detests conveys a strong sense of disgust.  Overall, God has a heavy-duty stance against deceitful speech. Lying lips, representing dishonesty and falsehood, are deeply displeasing to God.

The verse also indicates that God delights in those who engage in truth-telling.  Delights in signifies that God is joyful when people tell the truth.  

Overall, this verse should encourage us to be mindful of our words.  We need to recognize that by being truthful, we not only uphold Godly values but are a source of joy for God.  

HINTS FOR ENSURING TRUTHFULNESS

Below are five important steps to help ensure the truthfulness of your words:

1.  Emphasize Self-Awareness:  Self-awareness involves understanding your thoughts, emotions, and motivations. Self-awareness is essential because it helps you recognize when you might be tempted to distort the truth. Being aware of such temptations allows you to prepare for overcoming them.
2.  Think Before Speaking: Taking a moment to think before speaking gives you the opportunity to assess the accuracy of what you’re about to say. Rushing into conversations without such reflection can lead to unintentional falsehoods or exaggerations. 
3. Be Accountable: Being accountable is being responsible for your words and actions. When feeling accountable, you’re more likely to correct any misunderstandings or misrepresentations promptly. This habit fosters an environment of transparency and helps rebuild trust if necessary.
4. Choose Honesty over Difficulty: Choosing honesty over difficulty means being truthful even when it’s hard or uncomfortable to do so. This type of choice-making ensures that honesty will prevail in even difficult situations.
5. Practice Honest Self-Assessment: Regularly review your actions and words for honesty. Reflect on times when you might have deviated from the truth and consider the impact of this deviation. This habit enables personal growth by identifying areas for improvement of truthfulness and reinforcing a commitment to it.

Taking the above steps repeatedly can help nurture a lifestyle of truthfulness.  Being truthful is clear and emphatic direction from God.  Difficulties in any relationship may arise and persist due to intentional or unintentional deviation from the truthfulness of words.