The character trait of sincerity is defined as “doing what is right with transparent motives.”  Most of us are comfortable with the “doing what is right” part.  But the qualifier of “with transparent motives” is a much deeper gut check.

Motives can be quite slippery.  We all believe our own narrative, down to our toenails.  But what if our motives are sincerely self-serving?   Even if we are tempted, as I was today, to use that catchy phrase, “for full-disclosure, you should know…”, we might even use this as a self-glorifying accolade of transparency.  “Trust me.  I’m sincere.”

I used to justify my motives and intentions with the utmost intensity, especially when it involved “discussions” with my wife.  I’d be like a lawyer making his final argument to a skeptical jury—complete with impeccable logic, exhibits A through Z, and that most important eyewitness—me.  I judged my actions by my own motives and intentions.  I was sincere . . . but 99% of the time, mixed in my motives.  There was no full-disclosure—only partial.  And the partial part that was disclosed always favored me and my image.

As I’ve matured, I now see the wisdom in Benjamin Franklin’s introspective question, “Who has deceived thee so oft as thyself?”  Sincerity learns to put one’s own motives in the witness stand for a cross examination under oath—“to tell the truth about myself, the whole truth about myself, so help me God.”

In the Bible, one of the earliest disciples of Jesus is Nathaniel, whom Jesus describes upon their first encounter as “an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (John 1:47).  The word used here means Nathaniel had no tricks, no guile, no mixed messages.  What you see is what you get.  Nathaniel was a walking definition of sincerity.  Could that be said of me?

Roman 12:9 says, “Let love be sincere.”  Genuine.  Unfeigned.  It literally means “without hypocrisy.”  Living for the good of others (love) is to be with pure motives (without hypocrisy).  This is the definition for sincerity, “Doing what is right and loving with transparent motives.”

A hypocrite is a useful image to understand the struggle with transparent motives.  A hypocrite is “two-faced”—motives are not transparent.  The outer face impresses others or deflects criticism, while the inner face remains resistant to full exposure.  There is a holy terror and wonderful grace in the reality that two-faced living will ultimately be exposed, which brings up the point: why hide our motives, if, over time, they’re going to be exposed anyway? Sincerity is the fast-track to the unhypocritical life.  Sincerity is learning how to be true-faced, not two-faced.