Saturday July 28

July 28, 2012       Jeremiah 9

 

Jerald Jellison said in a USA Today article, "Each of us fibs at least 50 times a day." He explained that we lie about our age, our income, or our accomplishments. And we use lies to escape embarrassment. A common reason for "little white lies," we're told, is to protect someone else's feelings. Yet in so doing, we are really protecting ourselves.

 

I've put together a short list of some of the most frequently used American lies.  

- The check is in the mail.

- I was just kidding.

- I am not angry….. really!!!

- I was only trying to help.

- I'll start my diet tomorrow.

- Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.

- This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.

- Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file.

- This hurts me more than it hurts you.

- I just need five minutes of your time.

- Let's have lunch sometime.

 

The prophet Jeremiah confronted the sin of lying which was prevalent in his day. He said the people made their tongues ready like archers at the Olympics, aiming their lies at each other. That is a pretty awesome picture of a person deliberately firing lies to hurt another person. Because of their lying they could not trust their friends, neighbors or even their own family members. The pronouncement Jeremiah makes is that, "no one speaks the truth." Truth had disappeared from the culture. All that was left were exaggerations, falsifications, fabrications and lies. Sound pretty much like America today.

 

God has set a radically different standard for us. He told us clearly don't make any false statements; only speak the truth. That is a pretty high standard. It is easy, even convenient to lie. But when we speak lies and deceptions to each other we are destroying the very fabric of our relationships. We live in a time of unprecedented lying. From politics to families, lying words impact all of us.  

 

Consider for a moment where lying originated. Satan is called the Father of Lies. (John 8:44)  It was his lies that started the cascading avalanche of the fall. So on this Saturday, who is your father? It is either the father of lies or the father of truth. As Christ followers we have the Spirit of truth dwelling in us. Because of this we ought to find it hard to tell a lie, at any time.

 

One little story to encourage us to speak the truth today.  A man went on a long awaited vacation to Europe. Two days after he left he called home to check in and his brother answered the phone. The man asked, "How's my cat?" The brother answered, "Your cat is dead." The man said, "You could have said that in another way, so as not to so hurt my feelings. You could have said, 'Your cat is on the roof.' Then tomorrow you could have said, 'The fire department came to get your cat down and dropped it and it is at the vet.' Then the day after that you could have said, 'Your cat could not be saved and was peacefully put down.' Then you wouldn't have hurt my feelings." The man then asked, "How's mother?" to which the brother replied, "She's on the roof."  

 

There is always an appropriate way to say things, if they must be said. But to lie to protect someone's feelings is never justifiable. There is no such thing as a little white lie. Telling the truth is always better than telling a lie.