What if we were honest?

As a pastor, part of my job is to listen. Lately, I've listened to a lot of people whose issues would be less stressful if they could be honest in their relationships. Honesty is one of the core character traits of peaceful living. Being honest with God and others is one of the foundational principles of the Christian life. If we could all practice honesty, I think the quality of our lives would dramatically improve.

Look at the guy in the picture. Would you be more likely to drop a dollar in his can if his sign said, "Will Work For Food" knowing in the back of your mind that the guy just wanted beer money? When I saw this picture, my first impression was that I would probably respond in two ways.

1. I would give him some money. (If I had any in my wallet. I rarely carry cash these days. I wonder when homeless people will be able to receive credit or debit cards?)

2. I would give him more money than usual. Just for being honest, I would probably drop a $5 or $10 in his can instead of a dollar or loose change. I don't advocate Budweiser or any alcoholic beverages and I know I shouldn't enable an alcoholic but something about his honesty causes me to want to reward him.

I remember hearing Rob Bell teach on honesty a few years ago. It truly is one of the fundamental traits that will make our relationships more enjoyable. When we pussyfoot around issues and other people's feelings, we create more complexity in our relationships, more secrets whispered about others when they aren't around, more barriers between our friends and coworkers, and more relationship "triangles" that often end up in hurt feelings and lost confidence.

What if we were honest? How would that change things? How would it change you?