Lying is an epidemic in American culture. We see it everywhere we look. Sometimes, you can’t help but wonder if anybody is telling the truth anymore.

One survey revealed that 66 percent of Americans say it’s OK to tell lies. Another indicated that only 31 percent of the people agree that “Honesty is the best policy.”

Dr. Leonard Keeler, the inventor of the lie detector, concluded that human beings are basically deceptive. And yet, God’s Word tells us plainly, “Do not lie.” (Exodus 20:15) Lying is an attempt to mislead or deceive.

As Christians, we must decide to tell the truth completely and consistently. We have been called to a higher standard. We need to understand that when we deliberately hold back half of the truth or when we tell a partial truth, we are being deceptive. We need to admit that a white lie still is a lie.

There are so many ways people try to mislead and deceive others. So many people are deliberately deceptive. People lie by falsifying and by concealing.

We need to face the fact that whenever we decide to tell a half-truth, we have chosen to tell a whole lie. Don’t attempt to excuse, condone or justify your tendency to deceive or mislead others. We can all choose a better path for our lives.

There are many ways to become an honest person. Begin by telling the truth completely. Concealing the truth can lead to all kinds of trouble. It can lead to resentment, mistrust, superficiality and so much more.

You get into trouble by not saying what you mean and by not meaning what you say. If you don’t face issues honestly and with integrity, relationships tend to eventually implode. Concealment undermines relationships.

Telling the truth completely is the right thing to do. In theory, I think most people agree that honesty is the best policy. But when we perceive that being honest will cause a confrontation, we sometimes don’t think it’s such a good idea after all. But in the end, people appreciate honesty, so tell the truth completely.

It also is important to tell the truth consistently. Someone says, “I am an honest person. I tell the truth 95 percent of the time.” Can you say a person is honest, and do they have integrity if they only tell the truth part of the time?

You are either honest or you are dishonest. Honesty requires that we tell the truth consistently. More on telling the truth and avoiding lies next time.

You may read Steve Greene’s blog at pastorgreene.wordpress.com or you can email him at [email protected].