Just answer the question

I’ve found myself getting frustrated at times when others are asked a question, or even I ask them a question, and they don’t want to give a straight answer. Sometimes it can be in an interview on TV or just a personal conversation. In either case, I find it a source of irritation.

I’ve noticed the people that are the best at avoiding attacking a question straight on are politicians. They seem to have avoiding questions down to an art form. If you’ve ever watched a candidate running for office in an interview you probably know what I mean. They can dance around a question like they’re pants are on fire. And sometimes their pants are on fire because they’re not even telling the truth. But even when they are telling the truth, it doesn’t prevent them from avoiding the question altogether. Sometimes if they come face to face with something they don’t want to answer, they can start out and you might think they’re going to answer the question. But then they shake you off and keep droning on and on until 15 minutes later they end up on some tangent that has nothing to do with the subject. I think they’re goal is to take so long answering that even you forget what the question was yourself.

I’ve found, though, that someone doesn’t have to be running for political office to be adept at playing word dodgeball. I’ve known some amateurs that were pretty good at it themselves. You can usually tell they don’t want to answer, too. There may be a bit of a delay, or they might start out with some filler information. If they’re really good and convincing they might start out by saying, “That’s an excellent question.” Now they’ve stroked your ego in the hopes that, even if they don’t answer, you might not even care. And before you know it they’ve squirmed their way right out of the issue at hand. Interesting how that works, isn’t it?

I’ve never been good at this myself. In fact, I’m kind of the opposite. If someone asks me a question, I feel compelled to just give them a straight answer. Sometimes I feel like I have to answer questions that are really none of they’re business. I probably need to just learn to sometimes say, “None of your business.” It’s not that I have things to hide so much as there are certain things you don’t want everyone else to know. Like if someone else asks what you’re yearly salary is. I could legitimately say to that, “None of your business.” I suppose I could be more cordial than that, though. I can avoid spilling my guts without being rude. There’s usually a smoother way to respond without being so abrupt. I don’t know…..maybe I could just say, “That’s an excellent question.”

…Let’s go deeper

I think about what the Bible says on this issue and this is the verse that really stands out to me. AV James 5:12: “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” You may want clarification on what this verse means. Well, I think of it this way: say what you mean and mean what you say. That’s a rough paraphrase. It’s also talking about making promises we can’t keep. Sometimes we can sound so convincing in a promise we make to someone else. Sometimes we have even convinced ourselves that we are committed to it. But when it comes down to crunch time we find ourselves breaking our commitment. We over promise and under deliver. This is what the Bible means by a promise where you swear by something can end up being a promise broken.

AV Ephesians 4:25 says, “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he shows how that lying should have no part in a believer’s life. Sometimes a person doesn’t realize the harm that comes from a lie. I think there’s one important thing to remember besides lying being wrong. Lying isn’t loving. Part of the definition of love is just telling others the truth. If you’re not telling the truth, you’re not being loving.
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AV Proverbs 12:19 says, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue [is] but for a moment.” That’s the thing about truth, it stands forever. Even if it doesn’t at first, it will eventually win out. A lie though, you might get away with it for a while, but then it eventually is revealed.

AV Numbers 23:19 says, “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” That’s the great thing about God, He always stands by the word He has spoken. He lets His yea be yea, and His nay be nay. It’s good to know there is one we can count on. Even if everyone else were to fail us, God never fails. Not only can we count on Him, but He is showing us how we should approach the things we say. This is how we should be. Giving people a straight answer. Speaking the truth in love. Being dependable and accountable for what we say.

James 5:12: “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”

AV Numbers 23:19 says, “God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”