Today is National Honesty Day. Yes, day – as in a 24-hour period. It was created by M. Hirsh Goldberg, the press secretary for Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer in the early 1990s. Goldberg decided to create this celebration at the time he was writing the first draft of his book The Book of Lies: Fibs, Tales, Schemes, Scams, Fakes, and Frauds That Have Changed The Course of History and Affect Our Daily Lives.
Some of you just looked at your calendar, wondering if this was April Fool’s Day all over again. Am I getting punked? A member of the media is calling for a day of honesty? A person who had to speak on behalf of a politician at press conferences is calling for a day of honesty? An author writing about lies is calling for a day of honesty? Try not to pass out from all the irony!
It would seem, though, that Goldberg really was an honest man, cherishing this value and practicing it. In fact, the idea of a National Honesty Day wasn’t to be honest for one day and spend the next 364 days lying through our teeth. This day “encourages truthfulness. Whether we’re conducting business or speaking with our children, honesty goes a long way toward instilling confidence. We all make mistakes. Sometimes, we don’t know the answer or can’t control the outcome of a situation. However, we can control our own actions and words. And we can speak the truth in all we do.”1
Even as Christians, we might lie on occasion. Oh, we dismiss it rather quickly by saying it was necessary to spare someone’s feelings. We might justify the lie because of a better outcome. We would be quick to say that on any other occasion, we tell the truth. And it wasn’t really a lie. I told a fib … a fiblet…a massaging of the truth…a clever subterfuge.
Read the Bible. A lie is a lie, period, and there are no shades to a lie. Truth is truth and whatever isn’t truth is lie. And the Scriptures don’t seem to ever give us permission to lie.
As Moses led the children of Israel, he would sit and judge them. Considering that there were probably over a million Jews, this was a daunting task for one person to handle and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, told Moses that he needed to get some help.
“Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: (20) And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. (21) Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: (22) And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.” (Exodus 18:19-22)
I love that phrase men of truth. We need that today – men and women of truth; individuals who open their mouths and truth spills out.
As the Lord speaks to Israel about the condition of their restoration and the future kingdom, in light of those promises, the Lord gives some basic ways for Israel to live. May we take them to heart today.
“These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: (17) And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD. (18) And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, (19) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace.” (Zechariah 8:16, 19)
1https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-honesty-day-april-30
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