Years ago, we cringed when the tobacco industry told us smoking is not addictive. That was false. Yet since then, truth-telling increasingly gets lost in our world. Experts are telling us that without truth-telling, communication in our society will diminish, interaction between people will be impossible. We won’t know what is true and what is false. We’ll have no basis to make important decisions. Life would be chaotic. If businesses can’t trust one another, our market system will fail; employees won’t go the extra mile or be committed to their work. Truth has its origin in God our Creator. We read this in Psalm 34, “Come, my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord. Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!” We ought to not be deceived by those who lie and seem to get away with it. God hates lying and those who lie hasten society’s deterioration and destruction. We suffer as individuals and as a nation when we lie, and we must give account to God.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
