Yes, I'm talking about you and I. Why do we do it? Why do we do it and why do we tolerate this action by others? Four years ago (or so) I went to my doctor because I had profuse sweating. They told me it was a side effect of one of my medications and prescribed me another medication for that "side effect." About 3 years ago I was having shortness of breath; especially when I was exerting myself. I went to the doctor (same one) and was told I had asthma and that I just needed an inhaler. Three months ago I had a heart attack and had to have a double bypass surgery. Guess what?! Yep the first two reported symptoms had been set aside as something they were not. My doctor didn't do their job and wasn't honest with me. Hence my trust was destroyed. Not being able to deliver the truth and honesty to me resulted in endangering my life. The ramifications go out from there to my family and friends. Once trust is broken, truth and honesty is gone. It's that way with me when I don't tell the truth and am not honest.
Aunt Joan comes into the room wearing what can only be described as the most light reflecting dress you have ever seen. She says, "Do you like my new dress?" You say, "Wow, that's some dress." She takes it as a compliment and you have just lied to her indirectly and she (maybe) doesn't even know it. Our second time of avoiding truth and honesty comes from our diverting the subject in order to "be kind" or to "not cause a problem." Guess what? You have just caused a problem. However, there is a second side to this creating an even larger problem. Being truthful and honest. Yep, just as devastating and deplorable. When I was young I was physically abused by my dad. When the parents of a classmate came by one day they asked me (in private) how things were in the home. I told them that my dad was beating me and that my mom didn't do anything to stop him. The response? "Huh!" He and his wife left and I knew nothing would come of my truth and honesty except they would not ask the question again.
We either don't believe people can handle the truth and honesty or we don't believe that giving the truth and being honest is the best choice. In both cases we are doing what we shouldn't. We are using societies norm as God's norm. I have searched the Scripture and find no place where it tells us to not tell the truth or to not be honest. The opposite is true. We, as a society, are raised to lie and be dishonest. We teach our children just as our parents taught us. Even our pastors and churches are busy teaching this same deception. All in the name of....? Selfishness is the only word that comes to mind. Selfishness because we don't want to be held accountable if we hold someone else accountable. So we avoid the truth and don't practice honesty to protect ourselves. So much for virtue in our choices. There has been a steady decline in history eroding the fabric of every persons life. In fact we have come to the place where we look for reasons to not tell the truth and to not be honest. Justifying our speeding we use radar detectors to alert us to the police and avoid our getting a ticket. Why don't we just drive the speed limit in the first place?
Whenever a law has been given (moral or otherwise) mankind's first impulse is to find a way around it. If we can't find a way around it, we justify or rationalize why it doesn't apply to us. In the end we teach this to others who repeat the cycle. What would happen if just for one hour today (say the lunch hour) every person on earth were compelled to be truthful and honest? The world would self-destruct. Every establishment would come to a screeching halt and would begin to disintegrate. People would be at a loss as to what to do. Trust would become a new word or thought. We don't want the unfamiliar so we avoid truth and honesty. They upset the status quo and reveal who we are when no one is looking. Perhaps even when someone is looking. If we find it comfortable to avoid the truth and honesty in our lives; it becomes easier and important that we do the same with others. But what is the real harm? For me, it means that I have betrayed my relationship with God who knows everything about me and loves me anyway. How about you? Why do you avoid truth and honesty?
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