Have you ever been caught in the act of telling a lie? I believe that most of us have been caught in the trap of dishonesty at some point in our lives, if not as adults, then certainly as children. Perhaps we lied about something minor (what has been dubbed “the little white lie”), or perhaps it was something more serious and had a bad influence on someone we care about. Whatever the case may be, I don’t believe there’s anything worse than being caught in the web of deception. I just heard a story about a social media video that went viral. On a plane, a 28-year-old man got into an argument with other passengers and the flight crew. He began boasting that he owned six residences, made four million dollars a year, and had an IQ of 176 as a way to “power-up.” He had no idea, however, that he was being recorded! The headline on the original story read, “Millionaire Gets Kicked Off Plane.” However, an investigation by Inside Edition revealed that not only was this man not a millionaire, but he also didn’t own any property and lived in an apartment. I honestly can’t imagine the humiliation he endured as a result of the lies he uttered, let alone what his next job search would be like or how his reputation would be tarnished — all because he was caught in a web of lies.

Friend, you walk in freedom when you walk in truth! You must prove yourself trustworthy if you want to have a peaceful mind, be a respected leader, and have a strong community around you, because trust is based on a life lived honestly, freely, and with integrity. Make no compromises in the area of transparency, no matter how tiny or unimportant it may appear. Instead, ask yourself, “How would I feel if someone else was watching me do this?” Your finest and most free lifestyle will follow when there is nothing in your life that you feel the need to hide!