Straight Talk

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left…” (Prov. 4: 25-27a)

In our culture of tolerated perversion, one word for the opposite of straight has come to be “gay.” In point of fact, however, the real opposite of straight is “crooked,” which, come to think of it, could actually be a synonym for the afore-mentioned “lifestyle.” But the fact remains; God expects straightness. He expects us to talk straight (v.24), look straight (v. 25), and walk straight (v. 27).

When we are asked a question, we should give a straight answer. (If you can’t do that, you need to get into politics!) Lying is not diplomacy; it’s deception. An honest question deserves a straight answer, and people who cannot give it to another person probably do not give it to God either

Looking straight will call for personal censorship, no doubt, but it also indicates there are some things that should only be seen one way—the right way. The direct commands of God are not up for discussion, and if we cannot look at them straight on, it only means our thinking is crooked, as well.

Then, we are to follow the Christian life by walking straight ahead. The scenery may change, but the road is unending until we reach Home. It may seem narrower at some places than others, but it never peters out. They say, “Consistency is the virtue of fools,” but not when it comes to the walk of faith. Only those who walk straight ahead, turning neither to the right hand or the left, have the promise that their ways will be established.

To describe someone as being “straight as an arrow” is still a high compliment. And, as I said, God expects us to be straight—in every way. I may not be perfect, but I can be straight; I may be weak, but I don’t have to be crooked. Like the poor woman in Luke thirteen, who was unable to stand upright because of a physical infirmity, I can claim the Savior’s touch.

“And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.” (Luke 13:13)