TRUTHFULNESS vs. Deception

Definition: Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts.

Object lesson from nature: The lion.

The lion is one of God’s most fearsome creatures, and yet it is used as an object lesson in truthfulness because unlike other wild cats, lions never send out false signals to members of the pride or tries to hide their feelings. Brave lion tamers learn to closely watch the body language and signals that the lion displays when they work with these ferocious animals. The lives of the lion tamers literally depend on the truthfulness of the lion’s posture, ear and tail position and facial expressions.

God wants us to be similarly transparent and accurate with our emotions and communication. Others learn to trust us with information and responsibility as we earn their respect by being truthful. God is pleased when we are truthful by not only speaking the truth but refusing to listen to lies and refusing to omit information that implies something that is not exactly correct. 

Application: Here are five practical ways to demonstrate truthfulness:

·        I will tell the truth.

·        I will encourage others to be truthful.

·        I will not cheat or steal.

·        I will admit when I am wrong.

·        I will not exaggerate to make things seem different than what they are.

This material is gathered from the Character First Education series, Volume 1.  It can be purchased at the Character First!® website.