The Truth under the Truth

Let's do a quick review of a few things that the Bible has to say about truth:

"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart..." Psalm 15:1-2

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.." Proverbs 12:19

"A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is deceitful." Proverbs 14:25

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth." Proverbs 16:13

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." Psalm 145:18

So, I know it may be a foregone conclusion at this point, but it does seem pretty clear that the Word is in favor of truth all the way, right?

Well, that may seem a little "duh" at first glance, but let's dig a little deeper; the topic I want to address today isn't just simple truth - as in, "Did you go to the store?" and then saying no, when really you did. That's about lying more than anything. My point is about digging another layer deeper into our surface truths and finding what lies beneath them...and then living that out into the world...and not just because sometimes it's helpful, but because it honors God.

So...what do I mean about something underneath our surface truths? Well, let's make up an example: a husband & wife are discussing their plans for the holidays. They're talking about whether or not to host a Christmas party for their friends and family. The very social wife is all for it, but friction is building because her husband seems reluctant. "Well, I just don't know if I really want to have that much hustle and bustle around the holidays. I'd like it to be quieter." The wife is perplexed; her husband also loves people and she can't understand why having more "quiet" seems appealing. It makes no sense to her.

Well, rather than let this post take 10 years to write out, I'm going to jump ahead a bit... what is really going on for the husband is that he is missing quiet time with his wife. He wants some more time to connect and build their intimate connection. His resistance to hosting a Christmas party isn't about not wanting to host or Christmas parties. It is truthful that he doesn't want to host the party, but his resistance doesn't have a thing to do with Christmas parties, and instead is about what he wants and needs in their relationship.

This is a little off my normal topic style, but I really have been hit between the eyes lately with the realization of just how important the whole truth is. And I can leave out the entire truth without even knowing it...when I hurry and am not thoughtful and mindful about what I say and communicate.

So, I thought I'd check the Bible for some input, and realized all the input I needed was to review the idea of truth. It's a good reminder for me today; I hope it's helpful for you too!