Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
Have you ever known anyone to not tell you the truth about something? Have you ever lied to anyone about something?
Sure you have.On both accounts. We all have lied about things at times. To get our way. To cover something up so as not to get us in trouble.
When I retired a few years ago, I had been working in a group home that housed 4 women, all in their late 40s. They were mentally challenged due to some damage to their chromosomes before birth. The things they had had to endure due to their disease was sad to be sure, but these ladies were no dummies. They felt like they had been cheated in life because they weren't "normal" like other people and through their life had learned to manipulate people and circumstances to get what they wanted. The lady that started this particular program they were in, made up the daily schedules that included activities for each day and they were rewarded if they participated in each one. But there were consequences for actions that did not comply with the rules of the house.Their awards were recorded at the end of each day. And one of the ways they could get one was to "not tell an untruth." Staff thought that one was worded the wrong way. It should have been for " not lying" or "not telling the truth." Because they know the difference between right and wrong, the truth from a lie. And just because they had the disease they did, it was like that rule was just a soft way of dealing with it, instead of calling it like it was.It was lying and manipulating something to get what they wanted. And to be sure, it was not tolerated, so it should have been called what it really was, so the staff felt.
But isn't that what people do? No matter who they are and what walk of life. From small children that have learned how to get their way by telling fibs to the richest people in government, we have learned ways to get things by deceit
Lying started from the very beginning of the world with satan in the Garden of Eden. The 9th Commandment in Exodus 20:16 tells us not to bear false witness against our neighbor. Does the fact that it does not say anything about not bearing it to others mean it is ok to do so? Of course not. And yet we do it. From what we try to say are little white lies, to the really big ones and everything in between. Lies are lies and it doesn't matter how little they are.
And lying, of course, is a sin. And we know what the consequences of sin are. The wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23.
Thank God that we have Jesus as our advocate that when we sin, no matter what kind it is we can be forgiven.
The ladies in the group home knew Jesus as their savior as well. They came from Christian families. But they felt like they were owed something because they were not like everyone else. They are not any different than any of us really. We all sometimes feel we are owed something for the hard things we have or are going through. And yet, it does not matter to God who we are or what our obstacles in life are. He loves us and forgives us when we ask him. Lying does hurt us, and can destroy our lives if we let it. But Jesus can put back the broken pieces so that our end is not death but eternal life.
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Thanks for your visit today. God bless and keep you in the palm of his hand.
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