Faithfully

“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.”  Proverbs 12:22

Faithfully – Did you notice that the contrast is more than speech?  “Lying lips” is not contrasted with “telling the truth”.  It is contrasted with (literally) “doing faithfulness”.  It only takes words to set lying in motion, but it takes the full expression of our characters to do faithfulness.  In one sense, the opposite of lying is not truth telling – it is truth doing. 

The implication is interesting.  We are called to more than telling the truth.  We are called to doing those things that reflect faithfulness.  Since this word (e’munah) is used to describe the character of God (Deuteronomy 32:4), actions that “do faithfulness” will be like God’s acts.  They will be actions that can be trusted.  They will be honest and have integrity.  They will reflect God’s view of the world.   They will be consistent.  They will be unswerving.  They will be righteous.  That’s what it means to “do faithfulness”.

God loves the truth.  He takes delight in those who practice faithfulness in all their behaviors.  It’s much more than being “true to yourself”.  This is the opportunity to be true to God.  When you practice faithfulness, you uphold God’s honor and give Him glory.

How sad it is that most of the human race operates on lies.  The human condition is so filled with lies that we even joke about it.  But it is no joke to God!  Do you suppose that we lie because we are afraid that the truth will harm us?  Can you imagine what God must think about that?  Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.”  That implies that lying will make you a prisoner.  You can’t have it both ways.

Today is a day for “doing faithfulness”.  Commit yourself to integrity, honesty, consistency and righteousness for this day.  Don’t worry about the words.  Concentrate on the actions.  You will find that your words will reflect your commitment to faithfulness.  And God will delight in you.