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| September 2010 |
| Billie Silvey |
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| Pinocchio was a wooden puppet carved from a piece of pine by a woodcarver named Geppetto. The character first appeared in 1883 in The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio dreamed of being a real boy, and he was very human in his propensity to tell lies. He was much more than a puppet--or even a human--in that his long nose grew even longer when he told a lie. What would it be like for us if our lies would be "written on our faces" in such an obvious way? Honesty is basic to counseling. If we don't tell the truth to the person who's counseling us, how can they possibly be of any help? In fact, honesty is basic to both our personality and our relationships. 1. Honesty is the basis of our individual identity, our personality. If we aren’t honest, first with ourselves and then with those around us, we won’t have a solid center to our lives. As the Psalmist says of God, "Surely you desire truth in the inner parts" (Psalm 51:6). 2. Honesty is the basis of our relationships. We can’t have a true relationship that’s based on a lie. "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices" (Colossians 3:9). Why do we lie? First, out of fear. It starts with the child who knocks over a vase and blames the cat, but some of us don’t grow beyond that. We live in constant fear that somebody will find us out. And they will, if we aren’t honest. "Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). Second, out of defensiveness. Even for the things we are willing to admit that we do, it’s easy to start piling up excuses. I once served on a jury trying a thief who had been caught in the act. He had this complicated story of what really happened—what he was doing on that block, how he ended up with a pillowcase full of things from the house. The convoluted nature of his defense, coupled with the fact that he didn't seem able to give a straightforward answer to a straightforward question, was enough to convince me that the obvious story was the true one. To have an integrated personality, to enjoy the fruits of helpful counseling, to enjoy satisfying relationships and to please God, it's important to be honest--with ourselves, our fellow human beings and God. |
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