1 Samuel 10:1, 10:14-16, "Then Samuel took a jar of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head, kissed him, and said, 'The Lord anoints you as ruler of his people Israel...' Saul's uncle saw him and the servant, and he asked them, 'Where have you been?' 'Looking for the donkeys,' Saul answered. 'When we couldn't find them, we went to see Samuel.' 'And what did he tell you?' Saul's uncle asked. 'He told us that the animals had been found,' Saul answered-but he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about him becoming king." Ephesians 4:15, "...speak the truth in love."

Think

"I'll be honest with you..." How many times have you heard that opening line? It should always catch your attention because it implies that there are times when the person has not been completely honest! This was true of Saul when his uncle asked him what the prophet Samuel had said. Saul only revealed part of what Samuel told him and kept silent about the fact that he was to be the king over Israel. He allowed his fear to keep him from being completely honest. The Bible states that we should "speak the truth in love" even when we are unsure of how the other person is going to react. Truth tellers are trustworthy people and trust is the foundation for every relationship. But telling only part of the truth is, in fact, lying by omission. It is a willful exclusion of important information that misrepresents what was actually said or what actually happened. Never assume that others will not understand or accept the truth. In fact, there is a very good chance that your willingness to be fully honest will lay the foundation for a richer and deeper relationship. Always be ready to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

Act

What situations tempt you to only tell partial truths? Resolve before God that you will always tell the truth in love so that you can prove yourself to be trustworthy and, in the process, strengthen your relationships with others.

Pray

Dear God, I admit there are times I am tempted to exaggerate or leave out bits of the truth. From this day forward I want to be a truth-teller. I never want to leave the impression with others that I am not being completely honest. Let every word I speak be honest, loving and pure. In Jesus name, Amen.