Many of us are familiar with the phrase from John 8:32, which reads, “…and the truth will set you free.” But so many of us find it hard to live by that simple tenet. I’ve found, however, that there is tremendous power in the truth. We just have to have enough faith to stand by it.
Children often lie, believing an untruth will spare a spanking. As adults, many times we lie to avert trouble or avoid negative consequences. We seem to believe the truth makes us vulnerable. But don’t we know that Satan, the devil, is the master of deception? It was Satan who showed up in the form of a serpent in Genesis 3. He used deceptive language and half-truths to lure Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. The result of which was spiritual death and a severed relationship with God.
In John 8:44, the devil is called the father of lies. So in essence, lying is the polar opposite of our heavenly Father’s will for us. Each time we lie, we give Satan greater power over our situation and over our lives. It is when we lie that we actually become vulnerable.
The very essence of Jesus is the truth. In John 14:6, He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” As followers of Christ, it is the truth that should be in us. And we must stand on faith, knowing that with the truth, we wield the power of God over any situation.
Who wants to be trapped in a web of lies? I’m enjoying the freedom that comes with the truth!
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What about the little white lie? The comment that you don't make because you don't want to hurt someones feelings. Is that still a lie? How does anyone respond to the "How do I look in these spandax pants although I know I wiegh 400 pounds" comment? If you tell the truth you could be crushed. Let one of her friends tell the truth. Some people can't handle the truth. So do we tell the truth up to a point? Or risk being put in harms way at some point. I think we just have to pick our truths.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point. But you have to ask yourself, does the lie REALLY spare feelings? In your example, instead of warning our friend, we would end up sending her into a humiliating situation. In this instance, the lie is really a cover for our own fear. Perhaps we're afraid that we'll end up looking like the "bad guy" or the "doom and gloom report." While it's true that most people don't want to know the "real deal," it's still better to be honest and kind rather than dishonest and end up hurting other people.
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