Folks, this is a biggie. If I would ask for a show of hands for everyone that proclaims to be honest, every hand would shoot up, right? I know I would say that I am very honest in all of my dealings. Now, if I ask for a show of hands of those that at times give false impressions, how many of us would admit that we do that? Fact is, we all do it if it helps us look better, especially in a bad situation. I think it lessens the severity of our wrongdoings. Another way we can give a false impression is by claiming responsibility for something good that happened, such as a project that went better than anyone imagined it would. We can be quick to say it was us, when truth be known someone else saw the need, figured out how to implement it, and all we did was use the map that they provided to steer the ship through the passage, then took credit for the whole project. Do you know why we do that? It makes us look good, right? Having the need to look good to others is a sign of low self-esteem and, in so doing, we are often less than honest. There may be only one person in the room who knows the real truth, but the value of your word and credibility, in their mind, just went down the proverbial drain.
Dishonesty is rampant in our world, right here in our country, and in our homes. Turn on the news tonight or read your paper. If for just one week we could see or read the real truth and have total honesty side-by-side with a newscast or newspaper article, the Associated Press, CNN and MSNBC would be totally exposed for who they are. In the Lodestar bulletin for the trait of honesty, the antonym says, “Dishonest people appear deceitful, unreliable, and untrustworthy. They may be insincere and manipulative, and they likely prioritize personal success over truth and character.” The scope of our crisis is quite evident, as we can see examples of insincerity and manipulation everywhere we go. It is intentional and it hurts our country deeply. How serious is this? It is deadly serious. Here is what Adolf Hitler said, and I quote, “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.“ I want all of us to remember one thing today. Our common enemy is Satan himself. He has two major tools in his arsenal: lies and deception. From these two come all of his other hand tools, such as discouragement, depression, anger, hatred, jealousy, and the list goes on and on. But it all started with a lie. That is how sin entered our world—one single lie—and Satan is the father of lies. Think about this and the severity of the consequences.
The flip side is that honesty affects our lives in multiple, very positive ways. Honesty fosters healthy physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. Our careers and relationships are more successful, and it builds trust and promotes connections. When we are honest, people have a tendency to be honest with us as well. Honesty reduces stress and really simplifies our lives. It takes twice as much effort to remember a lie and stick with it than it does to tell the truth. That’s how law enforcement personnel get straight answers—they ask the same question phrased in different ways, and people get tangled up in their lies and forget what their original answer was. So let’s all commit to embracing this principle; total honesty is easily remembered, and the facts will always line up.
Paul Weaver
Lodestar Guidance Founder
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