But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
None of us tell the truth all of the time. The very thought of being truthful might well destroy more than a few relationships, even lead to our dismissal from our employment for daring to speak up. The diplomatic approach can also create the result that we seek when choosing not to abuse those who may well benefit by being enlightened by another flawed human being.
Facing up to our less than attractive behaviour is often the result of learning that life can be a bitterly hard teacher when we are on the receiving end of its lessons exposing us for being unreliable.
Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. ~C. S. Lewis
Valuing our relationships with our fellow travellers is as much a reminder that we also are prone to be less than honest with our neighbours, as are those we are so determined to tick off for daring to believe that they could mislead us with their mendacious behaviour.
Honesty speaks to our willingness not to deceive, there being an awareness that bad habits can become infectious, sufficiently for us to become a victim of our own habitual need to mislead those who trust us.
I've also learned that half truths so much part of the political arena, are the most damning when dangling a lie at the end of a truth. In due time the deceitful politician is exposed for everything that they delivered to their supporters to win their votes.
Living in the truth is a process of growing self awareness that we also need to change our ways, thereby understanding that none is innocent, and all are in need of being transformed by The Spirit of Truth.
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.~ Proverbs 11:3
end
Responses