Proactive Truth Written by Neal Bowes

Wednesday

Exodus 20:16
¹⁶"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

James 4:17
¹⁷ So then, if you know the good you ought to do and don't do it, you sin.

As is often the case with Christianity, the quest for truthfulness and integrity requires us to be proactive. It is not enough for us to simply refrain from telling lies. We are also called to do whatever we can to help clear up misunderstandings and deceptions.

You can probably think of a situation where one person has the wrong idea about another person. Do you know the truth? What can you do to help the truth be known?

Maybe there's something going on behind the back of another person and it's making that person look foolish. Perhaps that person is giving a lot of trust to somebody who is misusing it. If you have the real facts and the ability to protect that person's dignity, shouldn't you do something?

Always be sure you know the real deal before speaking. Otherwise, you're just spreading rumors and gossip. But a big part of honesty and truthfulness is not allowing a lie to thrive.

Situations like these are always a little touchy, and sometimes it's hard to know the right thing to do--and even harder to do it. So, you might want to talk it over with your youth leader.

Memorize James 4:17 to use as a guide when faced with a situation where it seems like you should do something. And always remember the best guide of all: prayer.


If today's devotion spoke to you in a particular way and you feel led to share your thoughts with others, please do so.