Tell the truth and tell it ever, costeth what it will. For he who hides the wrong he did, does the wrong thing still.”
Zig Ziglar’s mother
Truth. It’s hard to come by. A pearl of great price. Something that is ever fading in our world today.
Businesses lie through the advent of advertising. Glossy pictures and glamorous actors create desire for the impossible. Heart-thumping music motivates a person to believe that a particular muscle car or deodorant can bring them happiness.
People lie. Everyone from politicians to family members lie to each other. Never a guilty thought crosses their minds.
It is all for the sake of personal or financial gain.
What is truth?
A person who has the virtue of honesty is a person of Truth. If they say they will do something, they can be believed to do it.
These people put in a day’s work, and often go above and beyond to do their job well.
A truthful man can be entrusted with much. They are the ones who can be entrusted with much. For they will not forsake their duty.
Truth is sincere, honest, pure from falsehood and deceit. Truth holds fast to that which is good, and does no intentional harm to any.
It is in conformity to facts, not fiction (lies); it is moral and just. Truth will not waver in the face of uncertainty. It is trustworthy and of correct opinion.
A man who lives the life of Faith holds fast to Truth. True Faith. One who conforms to the Will of their Creator.
A man’s word…
A man is as good as his word.
Slapping her hand on the table, she’d say, ‘If a man finds out your word’s no good, soon enough he’ll find out neither are you.'”
Zig Ziglar’s mother
A society run by self serving people doesn’t last long. People no longer trust them. There is a constant perpetuating of lies to hold their place in leadership positions.
One cannot point out the errors. The truth seeker will often be belittled or slandered.
The emperor…
Nearly everyone has heard the saying, “The emperor has no clothes.” But few know its meaning.
The saying comes from a Hans Christian Anderson story. It is a story about an emperor and two tailors. They caused him to believe that the outfit he had on was the most spectacular in the world.
The liars knew that the emperor wasn’t going to be betrayed by his followers. So they “wove” the finest cloth money could buy. The deceivers “measured” and “fitted” the ruler for his new clothes.
Finally, the “fittings” done, and the emperor “displayed” his new outfit to the staff. Not wanting to tell him the truth for fear of incurring his wrath, they all oohed and awed over it.
So encouraged, the emperor promptly went out into the town to display his new garment.
Only one little boy wasn’t afraid of speaking up. Seeing the emperor stark naked, he cried, “The emperor has no clothes!”
The moral of the story was that only the wise and competent would be able to see through the group think. The little boy was unafraid to speak the truth.
Today…
We live in a world today where truth and lies are interchanged. One day we are told one thing as being solidly true. The next day we find out it was a lie. And that lie replaces the first one.
The problem is that this has gone on so rapidly that no one cares anymore. Or listens. It doesn’t matter if it is true or not.
The result is that people are becoming skeptical. They are unsure who to trust.
But man has an innate desire to believe something as true. Now, even family members turn on each other as each begins to take sides on different issues.
And a house divided against itself will never stand. (Mark 3:25)
Or is that the point?
What is lost…
The foundation of any society relies on trustworthiness. When that crumbles, social order collapses.
By nature, humans gravitate toward truth. Constant lies have a consequence. People begin to rebel or not cooperate with the liars. Anarchy reigns. And order is imposed by force.
Those who cooperate with enforcement do so out of fear, obedience, or blindness. No human being could enforce lies on their own.
Relativism replaces Truth. “What is true for you isn’t true for me and vice versa”. It is an impossible, irrational belief. For if it were true that all truth is relative, then that can’t be true, either, can it?
Yet it has become the mantra of people across the globe. Relating something true to a person who sees everything as relative is like nailing jello to a wall. It’s not going to stick.
What can be gained…
But when truth remains in tact, society thrives. Order and lawfulness rules the land. People live in harmony because they know they can trust their neighbor.
We must strive to restore truth in this world today. The populace has given up trying to sift through the chaos to find the nugget of truth that lives in the midst of the onslaught of words.
It is important to seek Truth. Work toward finding the truth in everything you see or hear.
Lessen the dependency on technology as the source of truth.
Stop gravitating to the media outlets for truth. Journalism has died a painful death long ago. The very concept of relating real news has been in the hands of the victor or manipulator even before the Roman Empire.
When society can finally embrace truth, no matter the cost, it will be a social group that will be able to rely upon their fellow man. Being able to trust someone else will go a long way to gaining stability and peace. For peace will never exist without truth.
Beware…
Those who seek to rely on lies to promote their position will lose tit. Look back at history to see how well Hitler and Nero faired in the eyes of mankind today. Those who choose to follow the same course will find their reward in the same way.
Belittling others, telling lies as truth and then campaigning against those who point out the fallacies never works for long. Whether in this life or the next, the consequences are never positive.
Seek…
Look for truth. Seek the One Who is Truth. He alone will help you sort through what is truth from lies.
Just ask. He is faithful to fulfill that desire of the human heart.