That’s what you are wearing? Really??? You can’t be serious? What do you mean by that? How are you going to do…….? Do you know what you’re doing? These are some open-ended questions that I can either ask myself, someone else or they can be asked of me. The theme of all of these questions, and many others,is they all come from our soul. They are genuine responses to core issues that are apparent to the presenter of the question. The issue is evident because of particular actions that are obviously in need of questioning. Why?
Honesty is an important character trait that affects all our lives. When used properly it produces hope, faith, courage, integrity, willingness, humility, love, forgiveness, discipline, awareness and service to others. Effective service is when you do something from the goodness of your heart – NSA(no strings attached) These spiritual principles are God-inspired traits we all must experience as time goes on.
Lunaria or “honesty plants” give us defined characteristics that can really help us see the beauty in honesty. The caption under the plant below details how I can make the correlation to my own honesty.
Seeds of truth are the source of my intrinsic values that germinate honesty. When I was a child I received those seeds from my parental guidance, my elders and my experiences in the church. Fundamentally, each group had two key reference points – The Bible and the world. The experiences that I had, the lessons that I heard and learned growing up were “seeds” that were sown into my core which began to germinate into absolute truth which I base my thoughts, ideas, beliefs and goals on. John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
When the lunaria seeds are planted it is important not to cover them with too much soil. This is true about “the truth” in our hearts. Sin can do to our hearts what soil can do to the seeds, that is impede upon the growth process. David said in Psalm 119:11 ” Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Daily reading and meditation on the Word of God is essential to the manifestation of truth in our hearts. We live in a world where all kinds of distractions from the truth of God’s Word exist.
Once truth is at work in our lives the affects are many. It is regenerated repeatedly due to all of the seeds it produces in our lives and the lives of others. If you deposit God’s Word into a child’s life in the first two years on a consistent basis it has the power to manifest for the remaining years of his/her life. It can be grown in any kind of heart, under virtually any adverse condition and without a constant source of light. THIS IS MY STORY!!!! Proverbs 22:6 reads “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. “
For many years I heard the scriptures. As a child I read them and even studied them. As a teen and young adult I began to share them with others. In my marriage and parenting I shared them even more and I found out about the personal attachment I had to them which was growing even when I was unaware of the growth they caused. All of my references to truth were systematically developing my character trait – honesty.
I always knew when I was being honest and when I was lying. The choice to allow truth to be the litmus test for my decisions and subsequent actions was learned behavior. Who was the teacher? God. What was the classroom? Life. Do I always make the choice? No. However, I see that there is a heightened awareness of my progress in this area.
I try to keep this really simple. When I am allowing honesty to work in my life it allows me to get some amazing results. The other 11 principles are the beginning of my reality that I like the affects of a lifestyle based in honesty. The more I experience the benefits of honesty the more I am willing to incorporate it into my daily activities. Christianity is the central component of my life that affords me the liberty to realize just how magnificent honesty is. Every day I experience the truth of the Word of God faithfully revealing new mercies, faithfulness, grace and power.
2Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Related articles
- Meaning of honesty (shaibugift.wordpress.com)
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