Musings

As I look back over my life, I am able to find several instances where I have intentionally evaded the truth and/or said things that are absolutely not the truth. My daily interaction with children reveals that this is really a part of the nature of so many of us. I was never taught to lie, but I can remember doing it despite the fact that I knew the consequences. My reasoning for doing it was to avoid the ramifications of my actions.

The bad part of this type of lifestyle is that it has a snowball effect. Once you tell one lie, you will probably have to tell another to cover the first lie that you told. Oftentimes, you may forget the first lie, so you have to make up another that will further cover up the previous one. It is a never ending process of stress because you have no idea when, not whether, the truth will be discovered.

I remember when I was young that I really told lies to avoid being punished. The problem is that somehow the truth was always revealed, and I got punished more severely than I would have if I had just told the truth. I was not conscious of the fact that God had said, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known” (Matthew 10:26, NIV). While the message intended to inspire the disciples to proclaim the truth of God’s magnificent love, it also served to let them know that they are to not fear the consequences of man, but of God. God’s judgment is righteous, while the judgment of man is flawed. However, we spend more time trying to hide from human beings who do not have control of our ultimate destiny more than we do of God who desires the best for us.

God wants us to enjoy peace and painlessness in the future despite the fact that we have troubles in this life. Our salvation is what God has tried to secure for us by sending his son to die on the cross. The Lord knows that we have now been infected with a nature that is contrary to his will. Therefore, he entreats us to be transformed from the mold of the world. When we do that, we will be able to speak the truth with love and not fear the consequences.