THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TRUTH (1)

'...You desire truth in the inward parts...' Psalm 51:6

According to Psychology Today, more people say they have cheated on their marriage partners than on their income tax returns or expense accounts. Nearly half say that if they scratched another car in a car park they would drive off without leaving a note, even though 89 percent agree that it would be wrong! Maybe our question shouldn't be, 'Why does God demand that we always tell the truth?' but rather, 'Why do we tolerate all these lies?' Jeremiah weighs in: 'The heart is deceitful above all things...' (Jeremiah 17:9 NIV). So much of the time, the bare truth makes us squirm.

At the age of three, when Mum asked, 'Did you hit your little brother?' we knew that honesty had its consequences. So we learned to think, 'Um, well, it's not really lying if I say...' We learned to cover things up. 'Did I hit my baby brother? That all depends on how you interpret the word hit. I mean, sure, I made contact with him, but would a jury consider it a hit?

Everything is relative, you know.' We say, 'Did I hit my baby brother? Yes, Mum, I did. But it's not my fault. Had I been born with nonaggressive chromosomes and had you not permitted me to watch television, it would never have happened. So I can say I hit my brother, but the fault isn't mine. I'm just a victim of nurture and nature!' Yeah. Right.

The Psalm writer said, 'You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.' That's the truth about the truth.

What now? Got any outstanding "half-truths" that are keeping a wedge between you and somebody else? It's nagging you for a reason, and maybe today's the time to sort it out.

written by Bob Gass