Exaggeration means to make something sound bigger, better, worse, or more dramatic than it actually is. It may also be defined as a distorted form of the truth, a relative of lying, or a tool for artistic expression.
The reason I write this message is because we are living in a time when it is difficult to distinguish between the truth and exaggeration. Let’s go a little further about discussing the truth. We are in a culture where people have no problem exaggerating or lying with a straight face. Sometimes these culprits are ones who we should be able to rely on for the truth because of the leadership positions they hold, but what we receive in many instances is distorted exaggeration.
Have you ever been in conversation with a person or people, and you had to scratch your head in wonderment, trying to figure out if the story you heard was an exaggerated story or the truth? Sometimes we question segments of a conversation because it may be too good to be true or too hard to believe. Other times we know the truth even before the exaggeration begins. That is when a person’s credibility comes into question.
Could it be that some people exaggerate because they are insecure or to gain attention? It may be that an individual wants and needs to be accepted and they use this technique as a means of being approved. It can also be used to manipulate others into believing untruths. If not careful, one’s character can be questioned if there is a continuation of such ambiguous information.
Most of us are familiar with the story in the Bible found in Numbers 13. God told Moses to send men to explore the land of Caanan. After exploring the land for forty days, they returned to Moses, Aaron and the entire community. “They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country. A land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there.”
But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it.”
But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are” So they spread the bad report about the land among the Israelites. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that is what they thought too!”
The exaggerated and negative opinion of the 10 men (spies) caused a rebellion among the people. We must be careful not to exaggerate when we are voicing our opinions or sharing information. In this case, the Israelite community began to talk about stoning Joshua and Caleb. This is one example of the danger of exaggerating found in the Bible.
Sometimes when we overemphasize the truth, we could be making a mountain out of a molehill. There is the tendency to make a small problem bigger than it really is. If not careful, this could lead to destroying relationships or causing unnecessary chaos and confusion.
In reality, a little exaggeration sometimes does add a little humor to a story, but let’s not go to the extreme, especially if it is going to be detrimental to someone’s well-being. It may be necessary to provide some clarity to our conversations if it has the potential of misleading someone.
Some exaggerations are innocent, and are not to be taken literally. For example, “I will be there in five seconds,” meaning I will be there soon, knowing that it will take longer than stated. Here is another one, “I am so hungry, I could eat a cow.” The truth of the matter is that we can’t eat a whole cow, but we may be famished.”
Let’s put forth a concerted effort to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.
Just my thoughts!
Robert Earl Slade, Pastor
