Walking with the Wise #283: Where Lies Lead

“…and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.”

—Proverbs 17:20 HCSB

Words matter. If you lie, it will inevitably catch up with you.Trying to deceive people (which is what lying really is) has a way of confusing and weighing on the mind. Lying leads to more lying, and then more lying, and sooner or later it will close in on you as you will be unable to remember which lie was which! When your lies are uncovered, you will be ruined. Think of all of the people in the public arena who lied and tried to cover up something. When the truth came out—what happened to them? They were shamed, embarrassed, and ruined—resulting in a reputation that will haunt them for the rest of their life.

Following Jesus means turning from lies to truth and refusing to make something or someone look better or worse than it really is. Being a child of God, our speech must be representative of the one who bought us. Lying is no more to be a part of a Christian’s life than putting trash on my plate and calling it food. Lies originate from the heart of Satan and are his chief weapon against believers. There are no “white lies” in the sight of God, but tools of the enemy which His Son was crucified to defeat.

Be children of truth, refuse to lie, and always tell the truth even when it hurts. Telling the truth is not without its benefits either—peace of mind and a clear conscience are of inestimable worth. Be faithful to God and you will not have to worry about some lie being found out. You will have peace and the respect of others, not to mention God will be glorified because of it, and you will have the joy of knowing you’ve done what God delights in. Amen