Truthful in the Little Things

Integrity is built by defeating the temptation to be dishonest; humility grows when we refuse to be prideful; and endurance develops every time you reject the temptation to give up. Rick Warren

Are you truthful in the little things?  How many times are we untruthful in the little things?  By little things I mean those things that we think don’t matter.  Someone asked you for advice and instead of being truthful, (because you don’t want to hurt the person’s feelings), you tell the person what you know they want to hear, instead of the truth they really need to hear. 

Here are a few we all probably use on a daily basis.  “I’m fine”.  This one covers a lot of territory.  Are you really fine?  Those of us who use this one have kind of made it a habit.  Probably because we believe the other person doesn’t really want to hear how not “fine” we are.  Who wants to hear about your car not starting, the dog chewing your favorite shoe, burning last night’s dinner, the fight you had with your husband or the fence in your yard falling over.  I mean if you really want to ruin someone else’s day just lay all that on them.  Another one we probably use often is “I’m almost there.”  Really.  You haven’t even left the house yet and you have a 30 minute drive.  How can you be “almost there”?  How about “Oh, I remember you” when you have no clue who the person is, or “let’s keep in touch”. 

How many times throughout the day are we not truthful about the little things?  If we aren’t truthful in the little things, why do we think we will be in the big things in life. This is where integrity is built.  I’ll admit this was and still is hard for me.  I got into the habit of not being truthful in small things and the more you do it the easier it gets to commit the same thing in the big things of life.  I constantly have to remind myself to think before I speak.  Speaking truth always is not easy.  It has taken me years to understand that I had a bad habit that needed correcting.  I think it is hard because so many people are doing it. 

We will never have the integrity that God wants us to have if we are not truthful about the small things.  When we are truthful in the small things we will be faithful in the big things.  It takes 30 days to change a habit or start a new one.  Why not start with one of the most important.  Be truthful in everything.  When we are truthful in all things, we don’t have to try to remember what we weren’t truthful about. Your public blessing is determined by your private integrity.  God used the little things to test your integrity.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I have sinned many times by not being truthful in the little things.  Thank You for bringing it to my attention so that I can work on that part of me.  I want to be truthful in all things. I ask for Your forgiveness for the times I was not truthful in small and big things.  I want to be more like Jesus who spoke truth in love.      

      

Scripture: He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Luke 16:10

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.  Ephesians 4:25-32