faith unfaded

They lie so much they start to believe their own lies…

Do you know someone like that? I think we all do. As a teenager I lied so much, I wasn’t believed when I actually told the truth. You destroy all credibility when you are dishonest.

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. Proverbs 12:22

I once was working with a young homeless man on the streets. We had a tear-filled conversation one afternoon about burying our daughters. We shared stories of their funerals and the pain of grief.

I learned a month later that his daughter was alive and well, albeit estranged from him. I wasn’t sure if he’d been trying to manipulate me or if a traumatic brain injury from a jailhouse fight was the cause of his frequent misperceptions of reality. Other street people simply thought he’d lied so much he started believing his own lies.

Even Christians can be in danger of deceiving themselves.

Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived…Deuteronomy 11:16

The closer you grow to Jesus, the harder it is to tell even the smallest white lie.

It is a command: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4:25

It shows your true standing in Christ: Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. James 1:26

You will be revealed: Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. Proverbs 10:9

A local news story revealed such wickedness in residents of Central Louisiana. Two parked planes at the England Airpark were caught in a gust of wind and made contact with each other, causing damage. Initial reports were unsure of whether passengers were on board and people jumped on social media claiming to have just gotten off those planes.

I gave them the benefit of doubt, thinking they were just confused and may have been nearby. You see, these were ICE planes that transported detainees and the employees assigned to each mission. They weren’t commercial planes nor were they even in the same area as commercial flights.

But then wilder stories emerged. “I was on that plane and terrified.” “This was the scariest thing I’ve ever been through.”

My father flies in those ICE planes daily. I was dumbfounded about these obvious lies circulating on social media for attention. I jokingly called out one of the more outrageous claims. The attack was fierce.

Satan doesn’t like to be exposed.

A lying spirit is often visible to all but the beholder.

The one whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but the one whose ways are perverse will fall into the pit. Proverbs 28:18

You aren’t just ruining your reputation. You are running the risk of spending an eternity in hell with a lying spirit.