Let's Be Honest...

Today I want to talk about honesty. Do you consider yourself an honest person? Most of us would probably say yes. But are you, really? And I don't mean honest about whether or not your friend looks fat in the jeans, or if your mother-in-law's pie really WAS the best you've ever tasted. I'm talking about genuine honesty. With yourself and the way you live your life. 
There is an epidemic out there of people living false lives. We say one thing, but do another. I see this everyday, and I'm sure in some ways, I myself am guilty of it. Here are a few common examples:
*The "But I am a Christian" lie. This lie is a big one. It allows people to walk around with a self righteous attitude while doing nothing but sitting in judgement of others. You say "only God can judge" but you don't really mean it. You think that because you believe in him, and maybe go to church regularly, that this somehow gives you the freedom to point out the flaws in others, and put yourself on a pedestal. These same people will use the Bible and religious quotes to shame others, or to try and make excuses for bigotry. The Bible is filled with quotes, and depending on the interpretation, anything could be viewed as sinful. So how about from now on, if you want to hate someone for their beliefs, or judge someone based on their life choices, you do it honestly. Say you don't like it, because it makes you uncomfortable. Own your hatred and judgement, instead of trying to use God or religion as your scapegoat. 
*The "This is my life" lie. You know the ones. They make mistake after mistake in their lives, and refuse to acknowledge it. The excuses for bad decisions come in many forms, but never honesty. They are quick to point out what they view as "errors" in others, but are blind to the mess they've made of their own life. They think the world owes them a favor, and can't wait to blame someone else for the terrible choices they repeatedly make. They think nothing through and then expect others to clean up their messes when "their life" doesn't go the way they want it to. 
*The "I want a family" lie. This one is very common. Most people think that you have to follow some life timeline. Get married, have kids, buy a house, get a dog, etc, etc, etc. So they do it. But they only do it half ass. Or they do it without being honest about what the choices really entail. Having a family isn't just making babies with someone. It isn't playing house for one weekend a month. It is a full time, endless job. To say that you want a family, or that you want to be a parent is a HUGE decision. It may mean you sacrifice a career, or don't get the car you always wanted. It might mean changing jobs or shifts, so that you can go to kids games, or eat dinner together. There is nothing wrong with saying that a family doesn't fit into your life. That is an honest and real feeling. Or maybe you just aren't ready yet. That's ok. If more people were truly honest with themselves BEFORE they jumped into life changing decisions, the world would be a better place. 
*The "I can afford that" lie. Most of us live above our means. By a lot. Just look at the economy if you don't believe me. Credit cards, loans, etc are just ways to pay for things that we can't afford. Now maybe you can afford it later, but just needed the help up front. Ok fine. But that isn't the case for most people. Most people get credit cards to buy things they don't really need, and can't afford, but want anyway. And then they pay the minimum payment each month, and wonder why they can't seem to get out of debt. People buy houses and cars and only look at the monthly payment and think "I can afford that." but don't consider how they will pay for the inevitable costly repairs and extras that come along with those items. A house is great, until the roof leaks, the lawnmower breaks, the furnace stops working, etc. You still have to pay for the house, but now you have to pay to fix those things also. Was that worked into your budget plan when you bought it? And cars don't run for free. There's gas, insurance, tires, oil changes, maintenance and repairs and more. How many people add those costs in when they buy one? Not many. Budgeting and money management are things that should be taught in school, to everyone. Too many people spend without thinking, or only look at a bottom line, and not the big picture. 
*The "I'm busy" lie. I've talked about this before, and it is a very common problem. We are too quick to say "I'm too busy for that" when in reality we just aren't managing our time well. Or worse, we keep adding things to our to do list, that we don't REALLY need to do, while not making time for things we SHOULD be doing. Sit down and make a time budget for yourself. Put the hours from the time you wake up, til the time you go to sleep, and write down exactly what you do with them. I think you'd be surprised just how much "extra" you really have. No time to exercise? What about that 2 hour TV watching block? If we are genuinely honest with ourselves, we probably waste more time than we realize. Or if we planned things out a little better, could make more time. 
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. No matter how honest you think you are, chances are you could be even more honest, especially with yourself. There are very few of us who don't fall into AT LEAST one of these categories. And that doesn't make us bad people, it just means we have room for improvement. We are human after all. But in order to correct ourselves, we have to first BE HONEST...