Read Matthew 5:31-37

“Telling the truth to yourself is integrity; Telling the truth to others is Honesty; Telling the truth with no fear or intimidation is Bravity and being free from falsehood is Purity.”

Being truthful is one of the things that we hold in the highest regard. There’s little that hurts more than being lied to and being truthful is one of the things that aids in setting ourselves apart, as believers, from a dark world.

Jesus takes a few moments in the greatest sermon ever to talk about the value of being truthful and shares a very practical way in which you can be truthful.

Jesus is known for saying some very powerful words and, often, those words read quite simple on the page. On the topic of being truthful, in this specific passage, Jesus simply says:

“All you need to say is …‘Yes’ or ‘No’…”

Your word should be enough. You should never have to swear to/on whatever we can think of to assure people that we will hold up our end of the bargain. Being truthful was important to Jesus and it should be the same for us as well.

In this same passage, Jesus speaks to one very important area where being truthful is important. When we make vows before God, He holds that in very high regard.

Specifically, when a man and a woman get married, they are entering into a covenant before God to fulfill the vows they are making to stay committed to each other until death.

I vividly remember the moment when the doors opened and Kelly walked down the aisle. We stood before dear friends and loved family members and before God to commit our lives to each other. Not only should we be truthful generally, but we should strive to be the most truthful in the vows that we have made to God with your spouse.

Marriage is an incredible thing and something that exemplifies the future marriage between Jesus and the Church. Marriage is something that is blessed by God and something that should never be taken for granted.

As you examine your life, would you say that you are a truthful person? Do you let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”? Can people rely on you to be truthful? If you’re married, are you staying truthful to your spouse and honoring the commitment, the vow, you made before God?

There’s always a next step. What areas in your life are you going to commit to be more truthful?

Jake Lawson