How do you greet your closest friends? In many cultures, people greet friends with a kiss on one or both cheeks. In our culture, most of us greet casual friends with a wave or handshake or maybe even a hug. Only our closest friends receive a kiss, and sometimes family will receive a kiss on the lips.

A kiss on the lips honors those who mean the most to us.

A kiss is special. It represents love and trust. It shows affection and a desire to be connected with that person in a special way. A kiss signifies a bond that goes deeper than casual acquaintances.

God says that honesty is like a kiss on the lips.

Honesty is special. Honesty builds love and trust. Honesty honors the person we’re speaking to by not withholding information or giving a false answer. Honesty honors God by trusting that the truth will set us free because there is no fear in truth. If we’re honest up front, there’s nothing that can come out later that will be a surprise.

Giving an honest answer takes courage.

Sometimes we’re afraid of what others will think. Sometimes it’s hard to be honest about what we’ve done or where we’ve been because we’re still carrying guilt and shame. We’ve made bad choices. We’ve suffered the consequences. But that’s not where we want to be anymore. That’s not who we are.

Even though it can be very hard to speak honestly, there is relief when the truth is out.

We don’t need to tell everyone everything. But we do need to be honest with those who are closest to us. We need to offer them the kiss of honesty. We can’t build a relationship of true love and trust if we aren’t open and honest about what skeletons from the past we’re hiding in our closet.

If we’ve been afraid to be honest about something happening in our current circumstances, it’s time to step out in courage and speak honestly.

If we’ve been afraid to face our past and reveal the skeletons in our closet, it’s time to shine light in our hidden places and clear out the fears of the past.

This is where sisterhood becomes so important. Many of us are concerned that if other people knew the truth about us they wouldn’t love us or accept us. Or they’d look at us differently. But here’s the truth: We all have regrets from the past. We’ve all made mistakes and bad decisions. Some of us (like me) more than others. But we can’t let fears of those mistakes and bad decisions keep us in bondage. We need to cut the chains of fear, tell our story to someone we can trust, and leave the past behind.

Honesty is the foundation of unbreakable bonds of love and trust. Honesty opens the door and releases the fears that we try to cover up. Honesty grows courage and strength as we step out in faith toward new life.

It’s time to be honest. With God. With ourselves. With those we love. With our sisters who will stay by our side to the end.

“An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.” Proverbs 24:26

May I pray?

Lord, it’s not easy to give the kiss of honesty. We don’t want to hurt the ones we love. We don’t want to risk our relationships because of skeletons from the past. Sometimes we convince ourselves that if we don’t say anything, it’s not really lying. But the truth is that if we don’t say anything, we’re not being honest. Give us the courage to step toward new life today by speaking honestly about all things. May we rest in the fact that nothing is hidden from You. And You will forgive us and grant us grace to move forward when we give You the kiss of honesty. Amen.

Q4U: What is something you haven’t been completely honest about?