Lies

5 Jun

“You can’t lie to your soul.”  ~ Irvine Welsh

My mother used to tell her boys all the time not to lie.  She would say, if for no other reason, we should not lie because sooner or later the truth will come out.  When it did, we would still suffer the consequences.  So, for better or worse, it would be best to get it over with right away and tell the truth.

There was a second reason she gave us for telling the truth.  She told us that lying took too much work because we would have to remember what we told to each individual person to whom we lied.  If the lie was a “big” lie, more people would be involved and the permutation of the lie might be different given each person and the circumstances around them.

I have seen liars throughout the years.  Most of the liars I have met were amateurs.  Some were professional.  Yet amateur or professional alike, sooner or later the truth would crack their lies and they would be in trouble.

Even the best liar, though, has one person who knows the absolute truth:  his or her self.  Welsh reminds us that we cannot lie to our soul.  When we lie, we chip away at our soul, we make it darker and less able to see our God.  We make ourselves into pitiable messes all for a lie.  Therefore, even if we “win” because our lie goes undiscovered, we lose because our soul becomes tainted.

There is, of course, on other beside our very self who knows the truth.  That would be God.  As I said, I have met some very good liars in my life.  There is no way, however, to lie to God.  God is eternal truth and the light of His Son, Jesus will burn away the darkness of sin.  Lies depend upon that darkness.  With the darkness burned away, our lies will be exposed.

This is one of those short term/long term kinds of issues.  Lying, perhaps in the short term, might get us ahead.  It might bring some kind of material gain.  It might bring us accolade or reward.  But, in the long term, lying can only bring us ruin.

Why chance it for something that will be exposed one day nonetheless.

FAITH ACTION:  Be truthful in all that you say and do today, knowing that is what the Lord would want from you.