Top reasons for leading with the truth!

Leading with actions and in truth is better than love with words or speech. Correctly handling the word of truth enables us to do our best to present ourselves to God as one approved, as workers who do not need to be ashamed. When we know the truth, the truth will set us free. Furthermore, being truth-tellers delights the Lord for He knows we are trustworthy. Therefore, ask God to guide you in His truth and teach you, for He is God your Savior, and your hope is in Him all day long.

Five key takeaways about truth from the Bible:

Firstly, God is the source of truth as we find in Psalms 31:5 which says: ‘ Into Your hand, I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord, the God of truth and faithfulness. ‘ This emphasizes the importance of seeking truth through a relationship with God. Secondly, truth is essential for righteousness as described in Proverbs 12:17 which says: ‘He who speaks truth [when he testifies] tells what is right, But a false witness utters deceit [in court]. ‘ This highlights the importance of honesty and integrity in personal and societal contexts. Thirdly, truth is central to the Christian faith as we read in John 14:6 ‘Jesus said to him, “ I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. ‘ This emphasizes the centrality of truth to the Christian faith and the importance of following Christ’s teachings. Fourthly, truth requires discernment to prevent us from being swayed by false teaching, as explained in 1 John 4:1 which says ‘Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets and teachers have gone out into the world. ‘ Finally, truth leads to freedom per John 8:32 which tells us ‘And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” ‘

Today’s Verse of the Day:

We need to remember that 1 Corinthians 13 is the love chapter so that when we see “it” we know that today’s verse of the day is speaking about love. Love doesn’t rejoice at injustice! Love rejoices with the truth when right and truth prevail!

Let’s take a step back to grab the greater context of love that came just before this statement:

‘Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. ‘

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The Definition of Love

God is love and so we can replace the occurrences of love above with God. Our goal of becoming more like God means we should be seeking and pursuing being able to insert our name for love and when we find gaps, decide to put effort into getting better in that area. Let’s give it a try here first with God and then I will give a template where we will use {insert your name here} so you can say your name as you are reading it.

'God endures with patience and serenity, God is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; God does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. He is not rude; He is not self-seeking, He is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; He does not take into account a wrong endured. He does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. God bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. ' 

How you can live out love in truth:

Now it is your turn to read it with your name and pause to consider areas of improvement:

'{insert your name} endures with patience and serenity, {insert your name} is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; {insert your name} does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. {insert your name} is not rude; {insert your name} is not self-seeking, {insert your name} is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; {insert your name} does not take into account a wrong endured. {insert your name} does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. {insert your name} bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. ' 

So now with this context of love and how it connects with and is important to the truth, let’s go back to the verse of the day and consider how we can apply it to our lives as dads!

Ways to apply today’s verse of the day in being the dads:

• Model truthfulness: “Be truthful in your interactions with your children, and model the importance of honesty and integrity in your words and actions.”
• Value the truth: “Teach your children the importance of seeking and valuing truth in their own lives, and encourage them to be honest with themselves and others.”
• Avoid deception: “Avoid using deception or half-truths to manipulate or control your children, and instead model transparency and openness.”
• Encourage open communication: “Create an environment in which your children feel comfortable communicating openly with you, and listen actively to what they have to say.”
• Avoid shaming or punishing honesty: “Encourage your children to be honest with you, and avoid shaming or punishing them for telling the truth.”
• Address lying or dishonesty: “If you discover that your child has been lying or acting dishonestly, address the behavior calmly and constructively, and use the opportunity to reinforce the importance of honesty and integrity.”
• Celebrate truthfulness: “When your child is truthful or acts with integrity, celebrate and praise them for their honesty and courage.”
• Foster critical thinking: “Encourage your children to think critically and evaluate the information for themselves, rather than blindly accepting what they’re told.”
• Teach empathy: “Help your children understand the impact of their words and actions on others, and encourage them to act with kindness and empathy.”
• Reinforce the importance of love: “Ultimately, 1 Corinthians 13:6 reminds us that love rejoices in the truth. As a dad, make sure your actions and words are grounded in love and use love as a guiding principle in your interactions with your children.”