We have all heard of Aesop's little fable about the boy who cried wolf. Of course, we know that the lesson that we learn from "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" is that we can lose our credibility when we are dishonest. Credibility is something that everybody must earn, but once it is lost it is very hard to earn back again. Credibility is something that every teenager wants, but very few are willing to earn it and keep it.
The Bible says, in Proverbs 21:28,
''A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly."
In other words, the Bible teaches us that a false witness shall lose his testimony, his credibility and his name. It shall perish and once something has perished it is lost forever. Only by the grace of God can a man be restored and still have some dignity in society. For whatever reason, a false witness will give a false report for favor of one side or malice to another without regarding the destruction of his own testimony if he is found out.
The man that "heareth" is the man that obeys God. The Bible tells us that he "speaketh constantly", meaning that he will continually have an audience and be trusted. God gives us a simple formula to gain credibility among people. That is, obey God and only report what you know to be true.
Teens get frustrated because your parents will not trust them, but perhaps they have lost their credibility by telling a half truth. As a young adult, I remember that my Pastor would always say, "A half truth is a whole lie." Other teens do not have the trust of their friends, but it may be because they have not kept their word. For teens who want to gain their credibility they must be transparent and honest with themselves, their parents and their peers! It's a rough road to get back on the credibility list if you have been deceitful in the past, but it will be well worth it! The famous Scottish author and Christian minister, George Macdonald said, “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.”
I know that we all know the truth about the boy who cried wolf and perhaps we think that it is just a silly little fable. But the truth is that he lost his flock (his most important possession) because he was a liar. Don't let the immediate desires or popularity cause you to be deceitful and lose your greatest possession which is your testimony. The Bible says, "A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." If any one wants to be used of God, he must pass a credibility check with God. How credible have you been in the sight of God?
Ask God help you to think about others without entertaining evil thoughts, to love others without a hidden agenda and to speak to others without guile. Remember that lies cost a lot to maintain and always bring spiritual poverty. The truth is free and always brings spiritual power!
