The Truth Will Set You Free
It might not always be easier, in fact, sometimes it’s downright difficult to tell the truth, but if you want to maintain your integrity it is necessary. Regardless of the position or title you hold telling the truth is a requirement. People do not respect, follow, or allow themselves to be led by someone who doesn’t tell the truth.
Some people are in the habit of just telling you what you want to hear instead of the truth because it’s easier. There’s no controversy involved if you skirt telling the truth, so some people avoid it. But eventually it will catch up with them because it cannot be avoided forever.
The time required for each of us to realize what we should do varies, but we all reach that point, and once we get it out and in the open, the healing can begin. It should feel as though part of the weight resting on your chest has been lifted.
The three ways the truth will set you free.
1. Trust is earned, not given. Respect is given, but it’s not the same as trust. Relational trust relies on the integrity of the other person to always be truthful, no matter how much it hurts. This speaks to the depth of a person’s character. Trust is earned and merit based, which means we have to continually reinforce the trust others have in us.
2. Integrity is the quality of being consistently honest. Not just once, but consistent over time. Integrity also speaks to a person character because our integrity is reflected in the choices we make over time.
Integrity literally means whole or complete. This means people should be able to see our integrity through our actions, words, decisions, and relationships.
3. Asking for forgiveness is the one action that can be given because it’s not earned. Some people struggle with forgiving because they cannot separate it from forgetting. This is the most difficult and are probably different based on each situation and person involved.
Forgiving can allow you to move forward wholly without carrying baggage around indefinitely. Forgiveness, may or may not happen in time. In some cases, we might not ever forget, because if we do, we might be doomed to repeat the same mistake over again.
Questions:
How do you define relational trust? What would those closest to you say about your integrity? How do you separate forgive and forget? I would love to hear your responses on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter.
