Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
Navigating Honesty in Challenging Times
Have you ever considered that what's true for you might be false for someone else? Join us on a thought-provoking journey about the nature of truth, guided by my good friend Joe DeFrieze. As I recover from a stroke, Joe takes the mic to explore the complexities of truth in our modern world, where cancel culture and shifting societal norms challenge our understanding of honesty. Through engaging anecdotes, including a conversation with his granddaughter and an intriguing interaction with ChatGPT, Joe offers a fresh lens on when it might be acceptable—or even necessary—not to tell the truth.
This episode weaves together personal stories, biblical teachings, and everyday scenarios to question what it really means to live a life grounded in truth. Joe challenges us to consider not just the honesty of our words, but the integrity behind our actions. Reflect on the moral foundation of truth, as seen through the scriptures, and how it shapes our faith and relationships. Tune in for an episode that promises to inspire a thoughtful examination of authenticity, encouraging us to embody truth in every facet of our lives.
Good morning everybody. This is Danny Mac. I want to thank all of you who've been praying for me since I had my stroke. I know hopefully before too long I'll be back broadcasting daily with you. Today, however, I have a special treat for you. My good friend, joe DeFreeze, has agreed to do the podcast. So sit back, grab your cup of coffee and relax and enjoy what Joe has to share with you today.
Speaker 2:Good morning and welcome to Starting Right with Danny Mac. I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great five-minute start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back, relax and let me help you start your day right.
Speaker 3:In this age of cancel culture, we find ourselves carefully guarding what we say to others, at times wondering what we can or cannot say through our daily walk. We may consider our words to be truthful but are found by non-believers to be misinformation. But what is truth and what determines what truth is? Our first impression is that truth is simple honesty. Consider two people sitting on chairs across from each other looking down at a piece of paper between them on the floor with a large number six on the paper. One person sees six and the other sees nine. Each is absolutely firm about what the right answer is, yet neither tries to understand the other person's wrong thinking. If truth equals honesty, one would conclude that the opposite to truth is lying, and God never lies. I asked my five-year-old granddaughter where can you find books that don't tell the truth? And she answered at a library.
Speaker 3:Over the past decade, our culture has gone from acceptable little white lies to half-truths. People like soundbites that are easy to understand and process. I asked ChatGPT what its artificial intelligence answer was for the question when should you not tell the truth? And it replied. Answer was for the question when should you not tell the truth? And it replied number one tactful omissions to protect someone's feelings. Number two in dangerous situations, when telling the truth could put someone in harm's way. Number three to maintain privacy, personal truths not to be shared with strangers. Number four to de-escalate conflict when honesty might fuel an argument or worsen a tense situation. Number five when bound by confidentiality, ie NDA or non-disclosure agreements. Number six white lies for social harmony Expressing gratitude for a gift you didn't like to avoid hurting the giver. Number seven when timing matters. Sometimes the truth is better delivered later, when the recipient is better prepared to handle it. So much for AI. And then there are people who openly speak truth, but their true motives lie secretly hidden from others' view. I call this an iceberg truth. Wouldn't it be nice if, as we looked at other people, we alone could see an invisible meter on their forehead which would tell us whether, and to what degree, they are telling the truth?
Speaker 3:What does the Bible say about truth? A pastor wanted to find out how many of his congregation believed in the Bible. When he asked them by a show of hands how many believe in the Bible in its entirety, most hands were raised. Then he asked what parts don't you agree with? One person mentioned Jonah and the whale. Another found it hard to comprehend Noah's Ark. After noting all the comments, the pastor raised a copy of the Bible, held up a pair of scissors and began to cut out questionable sections of the Bible. Then, holding the tattered Bible, the pastor quoted from Deuteronomy 4-2 and Revelation 22, 18-19, where God gives warning to those that add or take anything away from his scroll of prophecy.
Speaker 3:A scriptural understanding of truth encompasses more than simple honesty. Truth is a moral concept rooted in God's character. He is the God of truth that endures forever. Jesus asked the Father make them holy by your truth, teach them your word, which is truth. God desires his followers to be people of truth. He loves those who tell the truth and detests those who lie. He exhorts us to put on the belt of truth. God calls believers to worship him in truth, love others in action and truth, and always speak the truth as we deepen our knowledge and insight into God's word. Its truth will set us free John 8, 32. In conclusion, if you're one of the minority who tells the truth in every situation, congratulations. If you see a six, while the person sitting across from you sees a nine, perhaps you need to reconsider your viewpoint, with further research to enable dialogue with that person to determine options for a truthful understanding.
Speaker 3:The hebrew word teshuva translates to repentance in the new testament. The greek word metanoia expresses the meaning changing your mind or thinking differently. This implies a moral imperative to accept the truth and reject error. God holds us responsible for what we think and believe. The truth about God is always available if we are willing to look for it. In John 14, 6, jesus answered Thomas by saying I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. When all else fails and truth seems evasive, consider words from the hymn. What a Friend we have in Jesus. Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining us today and I invite you to join us every Monday to Friday, right here at Starting Right, with Danny Mac AnyMac.
