Recently, I've been dealing with a situation where secrecy was involved. The person kept a secret thinking that it would spare me from unnecessary hurt. But, because the secret was kept for so long, it hurt me worse than if I had known from the get-go. Time and again I've seen over the years that it is better to be open and deal with the consequences, then to wait. When you do, the situation seems to amplify to a much higher level.
This morning, I was reminded of this pain I'm dealing with as I was reading in Helaman chapter 1. Chapter 1 begins with the death of Pahoran, the current chief judge of the land. Because of jealousy, power-seeking, and greed, three of his sons seek after the office of chief judge. Rather than being unified, they cause a rift among the people. The people became angry and one of the brothers was sentenced to death for rebellion against the government. Eventually, the brother elected was murdered by Kishkumen and his followers, who took a secret oath to never tell the secrets. This secret hurt those followers as it did the society they eventually plundered. This deception caused such a problem and temptation and led to even more deception and temptation.
As Sir Walter Scott so aptly wrote, "Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
I know that sometimes we get caught in a situation where we have been keeping a secret from someone. If you are in that situation, don't make it worse for yourself. Do your best to be honest and get out of that situation. I know that a burden will be lifted from your shoulders. You'll feel better and the people around you will also be bettered from your honesty. I know it's not always easy to get out of the "tangled web" we create for ourselves. But, I do know that life will be better once you do work to get out of that situation!
No comments:
Post a Comment