Have you seen
one of those sitcom episodes where one of the main characters does something careless
or foolish, but instead of ‘fessin’ up to it, proceeds to lie about it instead?
That falsehood leads to another, then another, until the magnitude of the original
issue is dwarfed by the dilemma it has grown into. The deception becomes far
worse than the original deed.
“Why didn’t
they just admit what they did in the first place?” we wonder, caught up as
viewers in the fictitious circumstances. “They turned a little molehill into a
mountain.” Of course, if they had addressed the situation when it occurred, it
would have spoiled the TV comedy’s storyline. But sometimes we do the same
thing in real life and often, unlike the sitcoms, the end result isn’t
funny-ha-ha.
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| Walt Disney's Pinocchio, and pal, Jiminy Cricket, are icons for the perils of dishonesty. |
And yet, “To
err is human,” right? We’ve all heard somebody say that. You’ve probably said
it yourself. And it’s true – nobody’s perfect. In fact, some people seem
determined to turn their imperfections into a fine art. Everyone makes
mistakes, so what’s the big deal?
Well, just as
to err is human, so it seems the practice of trying to cover it up is, too. Think Adam and Eve and the proverbial fig leaves. Politics
and politicians have provided us with countless glowing examples – consider Watergate,
Monica Lewinsky, Iran-Contra, or Benghazi just for starters. Then there are
scandals in business, the entertainment world, manufacturing, the sciences, education, and
sadly, even in the realm of religion. For all segments of society, cover-ups
are common.
Rather than
stepping up immediately and admitting what was done – or not done – for
whatever reason we have a tendency to try and sweep it under the rug, so to
speak. (Not easy to do these days, especially if you only have hardwood floors!)
Not long ago I
came across an interesting quote by somebody named Dan Heist that fits here: “When
you realize you’ve made a mistake, make amends immediately. It’s easier to eat
crow while it’s still warm.” Crow doesn’t sound appetizing at any temperature,
but his advice has a lot of merit. Why complicate our deceptions?
Sometimes,
however, admitting to our errors is difficult. Maybe it’s a matter of pride, reluctance to concede we’ve made a mistake. Or we fear the repercussions, so we
unwisely choose to conceal the truth, hoping it will never be exposed so no one
will ever know the difference. The problem is, if and when the truth does materialize
– as is typically the case, sooner or later – consequences are generally compounded.
This is one
reason the Bible places such a high premium on honesty, even including it among
the Ten Commandments: “You shall not give
false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). This commandment not
only tells us what we shouldn’t do – to be dishonest, deceptive or to conceal
the facts – but also instructs us to be truthful and forthright in our dealings
with others.
In Proverbs, we
read repeatedly how costly it can be to be dishonest about our mistakes and
wrongdoing. For instance, “A false
witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free” (Proverbs
19:5).
The value of
integrity shouldn’t be underestimated, we’re told. “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths
will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9). Being willing to admit our mistakes is
like driving on a smoothly paved highway, while deception gives a “ride” more
like a bumpy, hole-filled country road: “The
integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their
duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3).
In numerous
other passages the Bible addresses honesty, dishonesty and integrity, but one verse
in particular uses interesting imagery to applaud the virtues of being truthful
in all of our dealings: “An honest answer
is like a kiss on the lips” (Proverbs 24:26).
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