My oldest daughter, Antoinette was very delayed in getting her first tooth. Her baby teeth did not begin to come in until she was fifteen months old. Therefore, she became quite proficient in using her gums to chew her food. She was able to receive the sustenance she needed by doing the only thing she knew how to do, “gumming” her food. My little girl learned very early to do what was necessary to accomplish the task at hand.
Because Antoinette got her baby teeth very late, she did not lose her first tooth until much later than the average child. When she was in first grade, her teacher gave the class an assignment to write a story about how they lost their first tooth. Well, my poor little girl did not have any frame of reference for this assignment. She had quite the conundrum. What would an intelligent and very creative six-year-old do with this challenging task? As any good storyteller-in-the-making, she created an exciting fictional tale that reflected her vivid imagination. With the teacher’s permission, she made up a story to fulfill the requirements of the assignment given. Let’s be very clear, this is just an example of a creative writing assignment for school not intended to deceive anyone. However, as adults how often do we make up stories to impress others? Are there times when we embellish or purposely distort the truth? You might think that there is nothing wrong with doing this. Don’t we all tell a little white lie here and there, a fib or two when the circumstances permit? Don’t we embellish our résumés or avoid telling the whole truth by avoiding a direct answer to a question posed? Isn’t that just a normal part of day-to-day life?
As followers of Christ, the goal is to always be a reflection of Him. We are to pursue holiness. Therefore, it is very important to be honest and trustworthy. We know that we are not going to be perfect in this. Yet, we must choose to partner with the Holy Spirit in continually walking with integrity. Our culture has conditioned us to believe that half-truths and deceptive speech is acceptable behavior. Our God has told us otherwise. He has given us clear instruction in His Word, that is alive and active and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness (Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16).
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines truth as real things or events, factual or a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality. Therefore, the opposite of truth is lies, fiction, and falsehood. When we align ourselves with the truth, we align ourselves with the Word of God. When we choose to speak falsely, to lie or deceive others, we give the enemy a foothold. He is the father of lies. He is the deceiver and we do not want to allow him to take any ground in our lives.
Now, of course my sweet little six-year-old child did not conscientiously choose to lie or deceive anyone. She merely created a fictional story instead of a biographical one to complete an assignment given by her teacher. However, as adults we tend to justify and make excuses for our less than truthful communication, which can open up doors for the enemy to weasel his way into our lives. We may think that our creative storytelling or avoidance of the whole truth is just a minor thing. Yet, it can be a slippery slope that leads to a path we did not intend to follow. Remember that old saying, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,” by Sir Walter Scott? Yes, how true it is! We must remain on high alert because the devil is always prowling around looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Many practices that we adopt, whether good or bad, can be habit forming. When we get in the habit of not conveying the full truth, we become untrustworthy. We have compromised our character as a child of God. Do we really want to be known as someone who is not truthful? It creates distrust in the body of Christ. How, then, can we be set apart and draw others to Christ? We do this, by abiding in Christ Jesus!
Pride, insecurity or fear can cause us to lie, embellish, or convey information in a deceptive manner. What is it that we fear? We fear man. We are seeking the approval of human beings instead of our Heavenly Father (Galatians 1:10). We know that the Book of Proverbs tells us that fear of man will prove to be a snare. Let’s seek to break the bondage of fear and fully surrender to serving God. He saved us by His amazing grace that covers our sin. It is our responsibility to walk out our salvation by abiding in Him, His love and in His word. We must choose to submit to the necessary pruning that cultivates the fruit of righteousness in our lives (John 15). God is good and faithful. He has given us the standard of truth by which to live. Let’s commit to living according to His Word and not compromising the truth. Thank you, Lord for your Word!
(John 17:15-17 NIV) My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
