Tell the truth

Are you in a situation where lying seems to be the only viable solution? Unless you want to create a problem between God and yourself—don’t do it! ‘Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight.’ (Proverbs 12:22 RSV) When you lie, you hurt God, others, and yourself. ‘Dishonesty destroys treacherous people.’ (Proverbs 11:3 NLT) Lying always comes with consequences because:

(1) God hears you. When you decide to pray, the last thing you will want to discuss with God is the first thing He will want to discuss with you; namely, your dishonesty!

(2) It robs you of your confidence before God. The Bible says, ‘Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.’ (1 John 3:21–22 NKJV)

(3) You risk being exposed. Remember, ‘Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.’ (Proverbs 12:19 NLT) When people discover you have lied, they lose respect for you, their trust level plummets, and a reputation that has taken years for you to build suffers a blow you may not recover from.

Paul writes: ‘Since you have heard about Jesus and have 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)