A white lie is a harmless mistruth, especially when it is used to keep from hurting someone else’s feelings. A rigid view of not lying would state that you have to tell the truth, no matter what. Let’s see if that is reasonable.

You may remember the movie Liar, Liar. In it, Jim Carrey repeatedly tells his young son that he can’t be home because he has other things to do. When his son blows out his birthday candles, he wishes his father would have to tell the truth. The wish works and all of a sudden, Carrey has to tell the truth to everyone. But rather than helping him, it hurts him. He tells his boss and his secretary what he thinks of them. In the courtroom, he tells the judge that his client doesn’t really have a case and that she isn’t a nice person. His client is angry, the judge is angry, and he is distraught. He ends up losing his client, his job, and his reputation.

This movie brings up a valid point: If you tell the whole truth to everyone you encounter, you would utter your secret thoughts without first filtering them, and those would include a whole lot of ugly, damaging things. Imagine blurting out everything you think about your in-laws, teachers, boss, friends, children and more. You would be in as much trouble as Jim Carrey was.

Instead, simply tell the truth in a way that doesn’t harm with unnecessary details and doesn’t lie. Don’t say hurtful, purposeless things. Don’t omit things you need to reveal. Don’t leave a false impression that jeopardizes trust, should the facts be discovered. When asked if you did something, tell the truth; saying you didn’t do something when you did is a lie. Leading someone to believe you are someone you aren’t is a lie. Telling someone you don’t know something when you do is a lie.

Lying is wrong. Honesty is right; however, we should temper honesty with necessary truth. You don’t owe people the truth about every thought that goes through your mind. Keep those between yourself and God. If they aren’t good, then talk to God about them.

By Karla Downing
 

Relationship Devotional Prayer

 
God,

Help me to be an honest and trustworthy person. Keep me from leading people astray by purposefully misleading them with lies. Give me discernment on what I need to say and what I need to keep to myself.
 

Relationship Devotional Challenge

 
Would this be a white lie or a lie?

• Telling your friend you can’t go to the movies because you are busy, but the truth is that you don’t want to spend time with her/him.
• Telling your mom that she looks nice even though you had just thought she was looking old.
• Telling your spouse that you didn’t go to lunch with your boss when you did.

Are you a truthful person who tells the truth by filtering it with discernment?

Scripture Meditation

 
Philippians 1:9-11

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (NIV).

Philippians 4:8-9

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (NIV).

1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (NIV).