HONESTY

Honesty defined: a quality, condition, or characteristic of being fair, just, truthful, and morally upright.   Honesty is more than speaking the truth, it is also being honest in our assessments, and in our fairness with others. Being aware that Jesus has total access to our minds, hearts, intentions and our activities, we are wise to realize that we must not hang a privacy sign on what we think is right or fair.  Withholding thoughts builds walls in our relationships.  Dishonesty blossoms and grows when we do not speak the truth to ourselves or to those we are in relationship with. To BE totally truthful in what we say, or infer, and even more importantly, what we leave unsaid - is to be obedient to His command to NOT take the Lord's name in vain.  If we live for Jesus, then we represent His holy name, with every thought, word spoken and action. To live in Jesus name requires His wisdom to hold every thought captive.  It requires His will, not our personality and our ways.  It requires discernment and courage to speak the truth in love. Lord Jesus I welcome the challenge to speak honestly, and also to hold my tongue ~ as a gift from You.  Today I choose to trust You with my marriage, my finances, my job, and my feeble human tendency to turn the wrong way each time the elevator door opens.  In the name of Jesus, I ask that the Holy Spirit equip me today with super natural grace and strength. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds." James 1:2 ~ As we are made in "His likeness", we are infused with His Spirit. God speaks the truth always and as we are "in Him" and He is "in us", we have been equipped, empowered and encouraged to be vigilant in our

honesty with Him, ourselves and others.   Bottom line,  our words, our ideas about our temporary life on earth, or our collected opinions based on our education, experience or our

time spent researching online, or even as we read scholarly commentary ~ our thoughts and conclusions are INFERIOR and admittedly limited if we do NOT ask the Holy Spirit to give us revelation. Only God's living Word changes people. People changed by God, are used by God to lead and achieve His perfect plan, according to His perfect will.  Our openness and honesty with God and with those He places in our life to influence for His purpose, these relationships create the foundation upon which Jesus will finish the work He began 2,000 years ago.   Honest communications grow our faith and trust in God and in people.  God values our honest talks with Him. Our internal and external relationships with others are a reflection of our honesty with God.  Strong, positive relationships endure the storms that come to destroy.  But our Father uses what others intended for harm, to gather glory unto Himself by His faithfulness to those who rely on Him,  His word and His ways.  Our trust in God is what allows us to accomplish much more than we could ever do on our own.  A key ingredient in strong relationships is our heartfelt connection to God.   Head knowledge will not serve God or anyone else without the infusion of the Holy Spirit who abides in our midst.  Our dependence on His Holy Presence is essential for our honesty.   We are compelled from within to act with integrity, to respond obediently to what the Spirit is saying.  Our

compassion, our interest in others, is a fruit of His Spirit in us.  Our loyalty, our friendliness, our desire to do the right thing is a divine compulsion from within.  Building trust without honest communications is impossible.  Honest communication begins with listening and responding to what the Spirit is saying, and what the other person is saying, or not communicating.  Honesty is about speaking the truth in love, with compassion for the condition of the listeners soul.  Ask yourself what is God’s divine plan for bringing this person into your life?  The Spirit of God will communicate perfectly through His willing servant the message that the speaker and the hearer needs to hear.   How the recipient responds depends on their maturity.  Responses range from joy to indifference.  Our part is to speak the truth and trust God with the outcome.  God corrects and disciplines those He loves.  His word encompasses all of what a human can feel, say or do in this world.  In order for a person to positively respond to honesty, they must know that the person talking cares for them. Embracing the unique way each person is designed or wired by God is to loosely hug the opinions, and backgrounds of those He places in our lives.  Diversity in our

relationships expands the opportunity to express God’s grace and mercy.  The wider our audience, the broader our positive influence as Ambassadors of Christ.  Variety is the spice of life and we can be assured that God will send a variety of diverse relations into our life for His purpose and ultimate glory.   "Now FAITH is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.  For our ancestors won God's approval by it.  By faith we understand that the universe was created by God's command, by His spoken word, and that as God revealed to us in Revelation 19:12 "His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God." Again confirmed of Who Jesus is: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning." John 1:1-2 NIV Our Father breathed this truth in Hebrews: "that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible." and Jesus continues to encourage us and comfort us by His word “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." (Rev 1:17)  BY FAITH it is up to us to TRUST GOD as we circulate and build

honest relationships within our families and communities.  Be open, Be honest, Be alive, Be available to be used for God's glory.  "Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, for without it none will see the Lord.  Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many." (HEB 12:14) ~ "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality, for by doing this some have welcomed angels as guests without knowing it." (Heb 13:1) Jesus knows all and He waits for us to confess our fears, reservations and worries.  Lord I pray that God would give me eyes to see and hear what is truly going on inside my heart, my mind and that He gives me the courage to speak the truth in love regarding those circumstances appropriately. As God answers that prayer and He reveals hidden sins within the Holy Spirits residence, my soul, or in my home, my immediate response will be one of thankfulness. Uncovering dishonesty never comes at a convenient time! Responding with a kind, gracious honorable manner is to be gentle NOT

wimpy. Kindness is actually God's strength under control. Although Jesus was God in human flesh, he responded gently to people who were ignorant to who He was. Matthew 5:5 ~ "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Rev 3:19) We were called, we were set apart, for His purpose, for His glory, to do His will, to do the right thing and speak the truth with grace.  We do NOT serve God out of poverty, but out of His abundant supply of time, energy and finances.  Each day is MEMORIAL DAY, a day to give thanksgiving to our Father, our Lord Jesus Christ.   

By obedience to His word, we individually choose to continue to pray for one another and seek Godly counsel. God supernaturally empowers those who seek to do His will. Let us continue to gather together as a family and praise God for what He has done, and for His plans for our future. Our parents made mistakes, our ancestors made mistakes and we are wise to learn from them, that we do not repeat and reap the same lessons from unecessary hardships. As Christians, every day is a good day to remember, reflect on, and give thanks for what the Lord has done for us. “And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Reminders, bitter or sweet, are important to our family, faith and relationships.  Let us rely on His word, His ways, His plans, and His perfect purpose in our suffering.   Let us thank God for the courage He bestows to speak the truth in love.  Let us praise God for how He prompts us to ask questions, and for how He provides for our every emotional, spiritual and physical need. Let us honor God by being honest with one another, always.  When in DOUBT or in question, let us read and TRUST God’s word and His plans for us: ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to

harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’  “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own (droplet of) understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do NOT be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun pride.” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph 2:8)  Let us NOT boast about what we have done, but instead let us brag about what the Lord has planned for those who love Him, for those who desire to serve Him. Compelled from within on Monday June 3, 2013 ~  As a new wife I felt pressure to meet all my husbands emotional needs. ~ Knowing that marriage exisits to teach people how to love one another as God loves us, I yearned to treat my hsuband as a precious gift.  My heavenly Father loves my husband as he is and He sees us both as more valuable than things. I must get outside of myself, my needs, and my perception and adopt God's view and plan for us as His couple.  When I look at conflict as an opportunity to grow, I find an alternative to frustration and despair. When I use our marriage as a place where I can learn more about giving and receiving love, I will be living fully in Jesus name as I see with His eyes. Humbly I will clearly see my imperfections, and how my Father, my sweet Jesus issues me continuous mercy and grace...truly undeserved. 

I desire to experience a healthy, happy marriage in which we are both stretched to our full capacity of loving! Such a marriage includes the enrichment and benefit of inviting others into our home, our plans, our life. "Do NOT give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10: 25 ~ Co-dependency is born out of suffering as a child. When a parent does not affirm, encourage or validate a child's good work, conduct or personality, a child grows up to need constant validation from his mate. Depending on your mate to satisfy all your emotional needs is draining. Co-dependent people resent years of service to others; they are tightly wound and they give with the intention of being well thought of. A few CLUES that mark an adult as co-dependent are:

• A childhood experience left you feeling under appreciated
• You have difficulty remembering anything positive about your childhood
• You feel "stuck" or emotionally blocked when it comes to meeting new people 
• You struggle with anger, sadness or fear of rejection or abandonment
• Compulsive behaviors continue to disrupt your life (cleaning, work, love, sex)
• Despite hard work, you still find yourself in unsatisfying relationships
• You feel your efforts to please others has been unduly discounted. 
• You reject new ideas and stick to safe rituals of thinking.
• You criticize others and quickly reject change. 

 As a result of my childhood I grew up looking to "fit in" and to "be liked" and to receive admiration for what a generous, kind person I am. Meeting others peoples needs was my focus to the point that I lost my identitfy.  I found Jesus, and He gave me a highly respected family name.  Out of His love for me, He disciplined me and He admonished me in His word to forgive

myself, and to love myself as He loves and forgives me.  It is never my hearts intention to hurt, criticize, cause strife, or to cause any person grief, but I was compelled to examine my heart and speak the truth with kindness.  God's living and active Word says: "God is NOT unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:10-12 NIV  ~ "All things are wearisome, more than one can say.....The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”?" Ecclesiastes 1 - The wisdom of God is unrefutable, unmistakable and completely deserving of our dedicated time to apply it to our life and be blessed by His pleasure in our HONEST relationship with Him, ouselves and each other. AMEN