Are you in a situation where lying seems to be the only answer that’ll work? Don’t do it. Lying creates a problem between you and God. ‘The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.’ When we lie, we hurt God, others, and ourselves. ‘Dishonesty destroys treacherous people’ (Proverbs 11:3 NLT). Lying always comes with consequences because of these things: 1) God hears you. He’s already aware of our dishonesty, and when we pray, the thing we’ll want to avoid discussing with God the most is the first thing He’ll want to discuss with us. 2) It robs you of your confidence before God. The Bible says, ‘If we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him’ (1 John 3:21-22 NLT). 3) You risk people finding out. Remember, ‘Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed’ (Proverbs 12:19 NLT). When people discover we’ve lied, they lose respect for us, their trust level plummets, and a reputation that has taken years to build suffers a blow that might not be completely fixable. Paul wrote: ‘Since you have heard about Jesus and…learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbours the truth, for we are all parts of the same body’ (Ephesians 4:21-25 NLT).
