More Honesty June 6

If you could have a discussion with the followers of Jesus from the Bible days, what would they say about living an honest life? I think the disciples that followed Jesus would say, “It’s a hard saying.” But the truth down deep, behind all the protections built up, behind the pretenses, I discovered I am not the all-knowing expert or king I think I am. The truth is I am often a slave to my inner desires, my resentments, my emotional fears. The more king I think I am, the more I must build defenses to protect my self-image and what I think my kingdom.

 With my personal journey, I don’t think I’m alone in this. I look around in church for instance and see the frowns on people’s faces; I see the nice clothes and clean skin, but underneath vibrates the unsolved pain. I think they are inwardly sick of themselves at times just as I am because they lack the wholeness of the one true reality, the freshness of truth that can help them start over again. And here, I am not talking about the trapped hypocrites in their blindness, but most well-meaning Christians who will leave church service and often the first word they speak will be some criticism for self-protection or a lie to themselves and others. And they will enter Monday morning the world of duplicity and try to get by with all they can no matter what. I know I’m not immune.

        So, I think it is time to give authentic, genuine honesty a try. Of course, we need to admit we have missed the mark with God; we have fallen short of holy living and humanity by excusing deception as some sort of survival. We all know the world places high approval and priority on survival, but survival to the extreme means “anything goes.”  For the authentic Christian, survival should enter the realm of moderation. Not all things are worth surviving, especially, if bad behavior reigns instead of God’s kingdom.

        Let’s just admit the way we used to do things may not be reaching our best potential for God. Let’s try and display to the culture around us, a fresh and crisp honesty in the name of Jesus above every name.

        Colossians 3:9-10 says it best, “(9) Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old self with its practices (10) and have put on the new self. You are being renewed in knowledge according to the image of your Creator.” [ CSB, Holman]. That living, actual image of the Creator is Jesus himself in history and in present reality.