The Moment of Truth

Have you ever seen the show “The Moment of Truth”? Well if you haven’t, it is a game show where the contestant takes a lie detector test beforehand and 21 of the 50 questions asked of the contestant while taking the test are chosen to be asked on the show. If the contestant answers truthfully, they win money – up to $500,000. That doesn’t sound too bad does it?

Well, there is a catch. Some of the questions are extremely personal and relationship threatening, especially since some of the people the questions are about are asked to sit in on the show. One episode, for example, consisted of a woman who was asked if she thought her father was trustworthy (no), if she blamed him for ruining her childhood (yes), and if she would ever consider marrying someone just like him (no). She answered all of these questions truthfully with her father sitting right in front of her. She hurt her father and her relationship with him for money…and she only got to $100,000.

Why would someone intentionally put themselves in a position knowing they could possibly hurt those closest to them? This woman could have backed out at any moment, yet still chose to answer questions that hurt her father….all for money. It is really sad to see what some people will do for money or just to be seemingly happier.

Although a big majority of us will never be on a game show like this one, I can’t help but wonder what it would be like. To be honest, I wouldn’t even consider it because I know there are some things I have said, done, and thought that I don’t necessarily want others to know, but would be really juicy according to this show. I think about how horrible it would be to have all of my darkest secrets poured out on television for other people to laugh at and have my family shake their heads in shame.

Wow. That would be pretty hard and although we probably won’t be on a show like this, we will have to stand before God one day. I am not sure what that day will be like, but I do know that I wish I had a rewind button for life so that I didn’t have to face God with some of the things I’ve done. I bring this up only to emphasize that we shouldn’t go through life not thinking about how what we say, do, and even think affects others and how we interact with them.

Without trying to be too cliché-ish, you really have to think “what would Jesus do?” Jesus genuinely loved people, even those that hated him and treated him like dirt. I don’t know many of us that could pull that off successfully, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. Yes, we are human and we make mistakes, but wouldn’t it be great if, at the end of the day, we could look back and say that we did our best to love and care for other people and even ourselves?

Think about this tomorrow when that crazy driver cuts you off or you get stuck behind the slowest person in the check-out line. Instead of “blessing them out” why not wish them a blessed day? And that’s just the easy stuff. Think about your relationships with your friends and family. How much better would they be if you always listened to what they had to say, confronted them when you aren’t happy with the way things are, or encouraged them when things were great? Not only could you improve the quality of your life and the lives of those around you, but I think your “moment of truth” would be a lot more enjoyable too.