How "Fair Dinkum" Are You?

Why do you do the things you do? Why do you say the things you say? Are you hiding behind a facade of fears and false values? How real are you?

In Australia, if someone referred to you as being fair dinkum, they would be paying you a great compliment. Businesses advertise their products as being fair dinkum, while others guarantee fair dinkum bargains and services.

An article printed on the www.WorldWideWords.org Web site said fair dinkum was possibly an English dialect word brought to Australia by settlers. It originally meant work, but was later extended to a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. Finally, it was translated to mean honest, genuine and reliable. So being considered fair dinkum implies that a person is regarded as authentic and trustworthy.

Everyone expects honesty in our dealings and relationships. Yet most of us have been misled and hurt by others lying to us at some time. Every day we hear about broken promises, corporate collapses, cheating and examples of businesses “cutting corners.”

Jim Clemmer of The Clemmer Management Group, states in his Web page on practical leadership that honesty and integrity are key ingredients in developing trust. Trust is a key element in establishing credibility. Our credibility is at the center of our ability to influence others.

How fair dinkum are you?

Honesty can be somewhat of a paradox. It is a quality rated above hard work, self-confidence and punctuality, but when people hear a truth that doesn’t match their opinion, they don’t like it. Then it becomes criticized and berated.

Of course, you and I have never spoken an untruth, have we? To say so is to deny our facing the truth about everyday issues like our jobs, relationships, status or our individual inadequacies.

While the world condemns dishonesty in those we expect to trust, we pay little heed to the impact of our own falsehoods on ourselves and others.

Why do you do the things you do? Why do you say the things you say? Are you as fair dinkum as you think you are? Maybe you’re hiding behind a facade of fears and false values? How real are you?

The truth about lies

There are two classes of people: those running after something and those running away from something. The latter are fugitives from real or imagined fears.

People lie for many reasons. Their failure to face up to the truth generally stems from fear. For example, some are afraid to level with family and friends about something negative for fear of hurting their feelings and being rejected. Employees refrain from pointing out errors to the boss for fear of being fired. Young people indulge in questionable behavior for fear of not being accepted by their peers. In many cases, people will lie to simply protect themselves from embarrassment, punishment and, in extreme cases, even losing their lives.

The Bible tells us Satan told the first lie. He deceived Eve when he told her she would not die if she ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:4And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
See All...); while God had told Adam and his wife that if they did, they would die (verse 3).

Satan continues to deceive the whole world today (Revelation 12:9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
See All...) by blinding man’s mind to God’s truth.

God’s Word records for us examples of lying, deceit and murder by individuals in moments of weakness. In Genesis 12:13Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
See All... and 20:11, Abraham reasoned that by telling Pharaoh and king Abimelech a half-truth about Sarah being his sister instead of his wife, he could save his life.

King David, in order to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba, resorted to deceit and conspired to murder her husband Uriah on the battlefront (2 Samuel 11).

Lying about how much money they gave to the Church cost Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, their lives (Acts 5:1-10 [1] But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
[2] And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
[3] But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
[4] Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
[5] And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
[6] And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
[7] And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
[8] And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
[9] Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
[10] Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

See All...).

Man’s ways, which seem so right to him, lead to many of the world’s problems and eventually end in death (Proverbs 14:12There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
See All...).

All of us have been disappointed with ourselves when we told an untruth or avoided facing up to error. We remember the guilty feeling and the fear of being found out.

An article by M.C. Orman, titled “The Benefits of Telling the Truth,” included some of the consequences of not telling the truth. They include frequent failures in life, being distrusted by others, lack of self-esteem and confidence, dysfunctional relationships and the inability to be self-correcting.

Being honest defines who we are. Are you happy with your standard of integrity? You can remove the barriers hiding the real you and open the way to deeper truths in your life.

For those who think on godly principles, the answers can be found in the Bible because God’s Word is truth (John 17:17Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
See All...).

Christian faith demands greater honesty

Man’s destiny to become part of God’s eternal family requires us to see how our thoughts and ways are inferior to God’s (Isaiah 55:9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
See All...) and change them. To do so, we must sincerely allow the truth of God’s Word to cut through our natural resistance to His way (Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
See All...).

King David, in his repentant prayer to God (Psalm 51:6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
See All...), understood it was not only his obvious sins that condemned him, but the hidden intents of his heart and thoughts.

God has bound Himself to telling the truth (Titus 1:2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
See All...), and it is His earnest desire that all men be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
See All...). Why? He knows that those who live faithfully, according to His Word, will be set free from the penalty of sin—which is death. They will also receive the promise of eternal life.

In answering Pilate, Christ told him the reason He came into the world was to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
See All...). True followers of Jesus understand that their faith in Him demands greater honesty in their daily lives.

Real Christians love the truth. They know they can rely on God’s Word because it is the truth. Christ promised to give them the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of truth—to help them change their ways to God’s (John 16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
See All...).

Hebrews 11 records, for our encouragement and inspiration, the examples of many who submitted themselves totally to God. They did so because they found God to be absolutely trustworthy. Their faith in His promises enabled them to endure cruel trials and tests, even to the point of torture and death. Others witnessed miracles and mighty interventions in their lives.

Honesty in our day-to-day relationships and our dealings with others enables us to self-correct when faced with higher spiritual truths. God longs for us to face up to our spiritual shortcomings so we can overcome them. We can show Him how fair dinkum we are by our willingness to repent of our ways and accept God’s way of righteousness. By doing so, we become more like Him.

Recommended reading

What reassurance it is to know God cannot tell a lie. We can trust Him completely when He says He wants all men to be saved. However, in order to be saved, man must repent of wrongdoing and embrace God’s way of truth.

To learn more how these changes can be achieved, read our free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.