The basis of any healthy relationship is honesty, not just in the pretty things or in the easy ones but in everything, whether they are ugly or difficult. If we want to grow in our relationship with Jesus, we need to be sincere with Him.

Sincerity is the quality of being open and truthful. It is a virtue, which means that it isn’t something that is one-off or that we do sometimes, it is a quality we try to live all the time.

Imagine, your friend rushes over to you and tells you “You’ve got to meet this guy!”

Well, that was Philip to Nathaniel. Our guy on the other hand, responds skeptically,

“Who? Where? Some guy from Nazareth? Come on, nothing good can come from there.”

One would think Jesus would have been shaking some imaginary fist at Nathaniel but He didn’t. Jesus even complimented him, because sincerity is something that’s important to God.

The more honest we are with God, the easier it becomes to be honest with ourselves and with others. God is your Father and the great Friend: You can talk to Him about everything. Don’t worry about seeming ridiculous. Tell Him exactly what it is, because friends tell each other the truth.

• “Lord, I’m so tired. Honestly, I don’t even feel like praying right now, but here I am.”
• “Father, I’m struggling with envy. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to others, but I can’t seem to help it.”

Sincerity does more than build relationships: it transforms them, because it’s attractive and people respect that. Being honest with others can be difficult. It’s normal for us to want to be good and to want others to think this way about us. So sometimes, we want to put forth only the best image of ourselves. Being sincere with others isn’t about grand declarations of honesty or confessing some huge secret; very often, it’s in the little things.

• “I told you I’d be on my way, but the truth is I’m still in bed. I’ll be late.”
• “That joke you made earlier hurt my feelings. I know you probably didn’t mean it that way.”

Being sincere is the deep exhale after holding your breath for too long: it is rest, it is home. There is a quiet relief in letting yourself be seen. When we allow ourselves to be truly known, we invite others to do the same, and in that space, something shifts. Sincerity is really a superpower, and when wielded right, it changes situations, relationships, and even hearts.

In the movie Mufasa: The Lion King, Mufasa never needed to prove himself to Sarabi, he was simply himself and that was enough. Living a lie is exhausting. Scar’s real tragedy wasn’t that he lost her; it was that he lost himself.

Be honest with the state of your soul, your dispositions, your vices and even your virtues.

St. Josemaría used to say that the stuff that weighs most on us, that we don’t want to say should be the first thing we say. Everything has a solution if we just speak up.

A mirror shows you a version of yourself - but never the whole truth. It’s a reflection, flipped and framed, but not the depth of who you are. Sincerity is stepping beyond the mirror, letting yourself be seen as you are - not just in glimpses, but in full truth. It is the difference between being seen as a shadow and being known in the light. It is the peace we experience when we realise that truth, even when it costs us, is the only thing that truly sets us free.

In short:

• Definition: sincerity is the quality of being open and truthful.
• Young saints: Jesus complimented Nathaniel on his sincerity, even when he was critical of people from Nazareth (oops...) because this virtue is so important to God.
• Books & movies: Mufasa: The Lion King shows how sad it is when someone worries about proving themselves and loses who they really are in the process.
• From St. Josemaría: “Let us always act in the presence of God in such a way that we never have to hide anything from men” (Furrow, no. 334). More here.
• Practical tips:
  • Don't filter your thoughts when you talk God: you'll never seem ridiculous to Him, and you can talk to Him about everything.
  • Let go of your fear of being seen as less than perfect, especially with your friends. When you let them see you as you really are, you give them permission to be themselves, too.
  • Practice sincerity in little things: “I told you I’d be on my way, but the truth is I’m still in bed. I’ll be late” or “That joke you made earlier hurt my feelings. I know you probably didn’t mean it that way.”
  • If there's something weighing on you, share it as soon as possible. Everything has a solution if we speak up and ask for help.