Honestly!

If you are a consistent reader of this blog, you might be wondering why yet another proverb on lying. Well, since the honesty/dishonesty theme occurs in Proverbs to the tune of about one reference per chapter, we must need it. Apparently human beings are a truth-challenged race.

In a survey of 31 universities where 15,000 juniors and seniors were interviewed on cheating, 63% of humanity majors admitted to cheating, so did 68% of science majors, 74% of engineering majors, and 87% of business majors. They didn’t even bother to interview political science majors! 42% of these students interviewed said they had a very good reason to cheat. They rationalized it.

I believe that’s called lying. From the schoolhouse to the boardroom to even the White House where leaders look us in the eye and say, “I didn’t have sex with that woman”, what we’re seeing these days is that the truth is in trouble. And the main reason dishonesty is accepted in our culture is because dishonesty is active in our nature. Dr. Leonard Keeler, who invented the lie detector test, interviewed 25,000 people and he came to the conclusion that people are basically dishonest. That’s no real surprise if you’ve read the Bible.

We see from Genesis that dishonesty plunged this world into the mess that we’re in today, and since we’re all a part of that original race of fallen human beings, we have a resistance to truth built right in to our DNA. The Bible says that the human heart is deceitful. But the real reason why dishonesty is alive and well in our culture and in our character is that it is alive and well in the cosmos. You see, there is the most intense struggle going on in the unseen spiritual realm—even at this very moment: the cosmic battle of light versus darkness and good versus evil that is being wage between God and Satan.

The Bible says that God is the Father of truth, but Satan is the father of falsehood. John 8:44 says, “Satan has always hated the truth. There is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character for he is a liar and the father of lies.” It’s clear that God and Satan are on opposite sides in an intense battle and we’re in the middle, and you and I have a choice: Do we follow our fallen nature or our fallen culture or the god of the cosmos, or do we follow the Creator? Is it going to be the father of lies or the Father of light?

That’s why Proverbs keeps calling us back to honest living by reminding us over and again that God hates dishonesty: “The Lord hates…a lying tongue…” (Proverbs 6:17) Rarely do we see that God hates something, but when it comes to dishonesty, it’s repulsive to God. That’s what the word “hate” means: It’s disgusting, detestable, utterly and thoroughly repulsive. But Proverbs also reminds us that God loves honesty and honors the honest: “Truthful lips endure forever…he delights in those who are truthful”. (Proverbs 12:19,22)

Maybe you think this blog isn’t for you, that this proverb is for somebody else, but apparently God thinks you need the reminder. Honestly!  Me, too.  That’s why he inspired Solomon to write it down. So just watch yourself today, lest the “father of lies” steer you into a falsehood.

Your Assignment, Should You Choose To Accept It:

Join me in praying this simple but very powerful prayer today: “Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from the Evil One.”