The quote is from Veggie Tales and bears memorizing and repeating as often as necessary. The scenario was "The Big Fat Lie" and the consequences of telling a lie to ourselves and then to others. Like a cancer lies bloom into full blown disasters. While we don't think our lies do much if any damage, there are repercussions for the rest of your and my life. First and foremost, there is the damage to our relationship with God. Secondly, there is damage to our personal integrity first with ourselves and then others however far the lie goes. I'm not talking about telling your kids there is a Santa Claus or Tooth Fairy. For that matter the Easter Bunny and all the other warm fuzzy things we want our kids to embrace become fodder for the fire later in life. The third level of damage is to our relationships with spouse, friends, work, and then the community. Who hasn't seen a leader in the community fall in disgrace when the lie is exposed? Perhaps you, like me, have been one of those who have fallen. That's for you to answer. I've wrecked my life many times over by living the lie (whatever it was) and having later to face the music.
Whenever we find ourselves in a problem circumstances we should cling to higher ground and think, say and do the right thing. James 4:17 says, "If you do what you know is wrong, it is sin." No wiggle room there. There doesn't have to be a person you sinned against. In fact that is secondary to sinning against God. Taking the higher ground is always the best choice for the Christian. For the non-believer, there is neither high or low ground. In spite of people telling me that there are good people who don't believe; there are not. The reality is you are either alive in Christ or dead in your sins. Believing on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved. It sounds easy enough. However, we must believe first. That means abandoning what we previously believed. Oh yeah, that means what we previously believed was a lie! Does the Christian every think about the many people they have witnessed to in such a way that they would not consider Christ as their Savior? I know that I have many instances when I chose the way of the world over The Way! It makes no matter whether you try to convince others of your righteousness or not. The one that needs convincing is God. What would he say about your and my testimony? Do you hear "well done thou good and faithful servant"?
Despite the consequences of lying, telling the truth is always the best choice. The truth, the Bible says, will set you free. Free from what? Free to worship God. Free to enjoy eternal life. Free to be who God wants you to be. Free from the quandaries of life here on earth. Beware though of those who don't want you free. First and foremost the devil doesn't want you free. Secondly, the unbeliever doesn't want you free. Third your friends and family may not want you free. Fourth, those in the church may not want you free. The Bible states that Jesus came, lived and died so that you would be free. He fulfilled the law of the Old Testament so that we can be free from the legalism that blossomed from there. He set us free to have only two things to do in our life: love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Not a huge task if you are free. A huge task if you are not free but think you are. A relationship with Jesus is not a "pass" or a "right". A relationship with Jesus is first and foremost an act of love to you and I and secondarily an act of love from us to Jesus. If we only concentrate these two, we will succeed. It's always a choice though and today it's your choice.
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