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What I am about to say is not easy to say, but I believe that many may be able to see themselves through this. For most of my life I was a serial liar. Oh, I was sweet and lovable, but I was also a liar. Sometimes big, sometimes small, but as long as it worked for my advantage I didn’t mind doing it. If there was a behavior I was ashamed of – it was okay because I could just lie about it and no one else would know. If the truth would cause a disadvantage to me – it was okay because I could just lie about it and I wouldn’t have to face the hardship of someone else knowing the truth. If my flesh really wanted to do something but my spirit told me no, I could still do it – it was okay because I could just lie about it later and no one would know the difference.
One day, I told some lies and they caught up with me. I came face to face with my actions and there was no lying my way out of it. It was humiliating, hurtful, and full of destruction. I was tired of saying one thing and doing another. I was tired of being one thing to one group of people and another thing to another group of people. I was tired of justifying my sin and always feeling that dark weight when I would try to lift my eyes to the Lord.
I made a choice during that time that I would no longer modify the truth to make allowance for my wrong behaviors. I would from that point on modify my behavior to accommodate me telling the truth. Anything that I felt like I would need to lie about later to cover my tracks, I didn’t do. Anything that I would feel embarrassed about my husband, kids, church family, or those I respect finding out about, I would choose not to do it. If I would feel ashamed of my husband seeing how I interacted with someone else, I wouldn’t act that way. If I had to delete or erase things to cover my tracks, I didn’t choose those things.
You know what I gained when I made sure I never had to lie about any of my actions ever again? I gained respect for myself. I gained the ability to walk with my head held high wherever I went - including coming to the Lord. I gained freedom from a life of worry and anxiousness because I am never worried about what anyone on this planet will find out I have done. I have gained a completely clear conscious when I look into the eyes of those I claim I love the most.
I found a passage in Jeremiah 5 recently that struck me deeply because of my passion in this. There was an evil city that the Lord wanted to destroy. However, if He found one particular thing He vowed that He would not have to destroy it. What was that one thing? It must be lots of faith. Or perhaps those on their knees praying a lot. Let’s see:
“Run up and down every street in Jerusalem,” says the Lord. “Look high and low; search throughout the city! If you can find even one just and honest person, I will not destroy the city.
But even when they are under oath, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ they are still telling lies!”
Lord, you are searching for honesty…”
Wow. What the Lord was searching for was honesty. It was such a big deal to Him that He would have saved an entire city if He had found just one truthful person! One! This shows what a huge deal honesty is to the Lord. However, we are willing to look those we love directly in the eyes and lie to them just to continue on in our wrong behavior. We might as well spit in their face. If we are asked about our sinful behavior, we would swear against it if it saved us from being caught in the shameful us that we are so desperately trying to hide.
Some of us have become successful. Some of us have plenty of things to enjoy in our life. Sometimes we have things a little too easy day to day that we have become “fat” and entitled to having what we want, when we want it, with no regards to who it may hurt… we’ll just make sure they don’t find out.
Jeremiah 5:7,8
I fed my people until they were full. But they thanked me by committing adultery and lining up at the brothels.
They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for his neighbor’s wife.
Should I not punish them for this?” says the Lord
The Lord is so good to us. he has given us an amazing spouse, children, and home. He provides for us and cares for us, and we thank him by going after things he has deemed untouchable.
Jeremiah 8:6
I listen to their conversations and don’t hear a word of truth. Is anyone sorry for doing wrong? Does anyone say, “What a terrible thing I have done”? No! All are running down the path of sin as swiftly as a horse galloping into battle!
What a sobering thought. The Lord Himself listens to our conversations! Would I feel good about the conversations He heard me speaking this week? What about my text messages and my emails? What about those conversations I had with those I thought no one else would find out about. Will I admit that I have done a terrible thing where I have been wrong? Or will I continue to run swiftly on the path of sin and see the destruction lying in wait for me at the end of that path?
Jeremiah 9:5
They all fool and defraud each other; no one tells the truth. With practiced tongues they tell lies; they wear themselves out with all their sinning.
This verse holds the key for most of us who can admit to ourselves that we need to change in the area of lying. This shows us that lies are practiced. The reason we lie when we do is because we have practiced the art of averting the truth. If we want to overcome this and only live in truth, we have to begin to practice telling the truth, the truth only, and making sure our behavior helps us be able to always tell the truth.
Why is the truth such a big deal to God and to us? Because He is the Truth! Jer. 10 – But the Lord is the true God and the God of truth (the God Who is Truth). When we reject truth in our lives, we are rejecting God Himself, and it is us who will experience the destruction that inevitably comes when we reject God.
Jeremiah 9:3
And they bend their tongue, [which is] their bow for the lies [they shoot].
Our tongue becomes a bow to shoot poisonous arrows into the life of our most important relationships. Others may not know each time they have been shot with our arrow, but eventually the poison seeps in deep enough that we cause wounds too great for us to heal. But, there is hope! Here is why there is hope:
Psalm 60:4
[But now] You have set up a banner for those who fear and worshipfully revere You [to which they may flee from the bow], a standard displayed because of the truth.
A banner is placed on a fortress to show what you represent and what you are fighting for. God has a banner for us to run to. It shows where our strong tower is, where our refuge is, and it shows us the standard that we must never lower. God revealed this standard to us through Jesus who is the Way and the Truth. We need to flee from the bow we have used to shoot our poisonous lies. We can run to the Truth and be free from a life of shame, regret, and deception.
Father God, You are the God of Truth and You established Truth in us through Your Son, Jesus. Satan is the Father of Lies, and every time I lie I am aligning myself with him and his demonic entourage. I don’t want to live a life looking over my shoulder and afraid of what others may find out about me. I don’t want to poison my most treasured relationships because of my animalistic lusts. You have made me for more than this. If You are looking for an honest person in the city I pray that You can say that You have found Truth in me. Thank You for helping me practice telling the truth from this point on, and helping me live in a way that I never feel like I need to lie about what I have done.