We lie to ourselves, our friends, our enemies, and God. Oh, we justify and rationalize away the decision to do so. After all, we wouldn't want to hurt Aunt Bea's feelings when she asks what we think about her dress. We rationalize that protecting someone is more important than seeing them hurt. We manipulate circumstances in order to "win" when dealing with our enemies. We, at least I, lie to God when we make pledges we have no intention of keeping.
The biggest lie is the one we tell ourselves. But then, are we really to blame? The "world" is based on lies as a foundation on which we raise our families and teach our children to lie as well. You don't think so? Let's see, Santa Claus, the Easter bunny, Elves and Fairies, Leprechauns, the Tooth Fairy, and many more. "But," you say, "These are all just a part of childhood." Perhaps; but they are also about learning how to lie and teaching others to do the same. Don't believe me? Tell your child or your friend's child that these don't exist.
There are more damaging ways in which we lie though. We "stretch the truth." No, that's a lie. We tell "little white lies." No, that's a lie. We have so many ways we lie that it's hard to keep up. The Bible says there are to be no lies. Don't fudge here or neglect to say there. Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Don't deceive anyone. The Bible is clear but we don't care because of our selfish desires.
I have been guilty more times than I can count of rationalizing away the sin of lying in order to manipulation situations or people. Even though I have repented of my sin and made right where I had wronged I find myself faced with these choices time and again. And so, I get up every day and ask God to help me to go through the day telling the truth. It's difficult. Why anyone believed me in some specific areas of my life is way beyond me.
With the lie, there goes trust. We want to trust our spouses, children, friends, neighbors and fellow Christians. However, get caught in one lie and all you say is questionable. Yet, we are asked to trust politicians, lawyers, car salesmen, and a host of other professions. We end up choosing the one that lies the least or perhaps in the best way. How sick is that?!
Chicken Little or the Little Boy Who Cried Wolf are examples of choices we make and consequences we reap when we lie. We think we get away with the lie when all along people don't call us on our lies. What results is destruction of trust. When the trust gets low enough we become expendable to others or the business we work for. And yet, we don't change our ways. With the failure of trust we turn to blame. Blame is a means of not taking responsibility for what we think, say and do. "If he/she hadn't ..." or "I had no choice to...I had to protect..." The resulting defensiveness takes us out more quickly than the blink of an eye.
The truth NEVER needs to be defended. The web we build with lies becomes increasingly complex and requires so much maintenance that we are exhausted just living through the day.
Saying, "Yes, it's true." or "I lied." along with, "The truth is..." all are good starting places. First and foremost we need to stop lying to God and ourselves. We are sinners in need of the saving grace of Christ. Secondly, we need to stop lying to ourselves. When we can be honest with God and to ourselves people will begin to develop trust with us again. Third, we need to stop lying to our children. They deserve to be raised with the truth. Should we be that brazen, perhaps they will raise honest children as well.
So, just for today, this hour and this moment; tell yourself the truth. Then confess the truth to God and begin to live the truth. What's the worst that can happen? What's the best that could happen? Perhaps the "truth" will catch on and become chic or hip or whatever the saying is for this generation. Maybe people won't spend so much time developing strategy for their lies and actually feel freed up to just live the life Christ wants us to live.
Tell the truth. Live the truth. Pass on the truth. You will never have to defend the truth.
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