"HONESTY"

Webster's dictionary defines honesty as "fairness and straightforwardness of conduct; sincerity". And it defines honest as "free from fraud or deception; truthful". Ephesians 4:25 (KJV) reads, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."

I've been thinking about this in depth. And I'm beginning to realize that we as a body have a high responsibility to be honest with each other. Lying to each other is the same as lying to ourselves because according to the Word of God, we are ONE body.

I'm considered to be a very straightforward or blunt person. Some appreciate it, some don't. Regardless of the reception, I must remain true not only to myself, but to my sisters and brothers in Christ. I owe it to you all as a part of my love for you. I'm referring to the body of Christ, but we still have a moral obligation to be honest to anyone at all times!

I believe that when we are honest with one another, it keeps the peace, kills the drama, and promotes love and unity. It's when we try to compromise truth with one another that foolishness, heartaches, and headaches come into play. We should love one another enough to be totally honest even when the truth hurts. Proverbs 27:6 reads, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend: but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." A true friend will be honest at all costs. Other wise, they are no greater than your enemy.

I've experienced such heartache from individuals that I thought truly loved me, but they were dishonest. They thought that by not telling me, they were protecting me. NEGATIVE! Not telling me nearly destroyed me when the truth came out. We must remember that the truth will ALWAYS prevail. It will ALWAYS out live a lie. Sooner or later, the truth will manifest, so it's best to just be honest ALWAYS. Never fall into that trap of trying to preserve someone with a lie or deception. Lies and deception are not preserving agents! A lie says, I just won't tell everything; I will make something up. Deception says, I won't say anything at all; I will just act like I don't know, didn't see, or didn't hear. That's neglecting our responsibility one to another. We must PROTECT each other by speaking the truth in love at all times.

Maybe that's the key..."in love". If we remain honest in love, everyone will benefit and everyone will come out whole. Remember, the Word of God says that perfect love casts out fear. That means that if I'm operating in love, I have no fear of being honest with my sister/brother. If I'm operating in love, I understand that my sister/brother deserves the truth.

I'm sure we've all experienced both sides of this thing. We've been deceived and we've been deceptive. And I don't believe that either side was enjoyable or comfortable. So let's start being honest with one another. This is what helps me stay true and honest...I always think, would I want to be kept in the dark? Would I want something important being withheld from me? Would I want to find this out later?

Let's start now practicing honesty. You do realize that the more honesty is on the scene, the more people trust you? No one trusts a dishonest person. When you're honest, people don't have to look behind their backs to make sure you're not harming them. When you're honest, people will trust you with their lives. How many people can you say trust you with their life? Good question to end on.

Come on body of Christ, let's be honest one to another...even if you are part of the truth.

Pastor Renee