Earlier this year my husband and I discovered that through some miscalculations in our paycheck withholding through the year, we ended 2012 owing the federal government a considerable amount of money, far more than our meager savings account contained. After correcting the withholding mistake for the coming years, we determined it would be best to take out a credit card that was offering a 20-month period of time in which you could pay off its balance without incurring any interest on the money. Bob made the arrangements and we received the first statement for that card a few weeks ago. I opened the envelope, took mental note that the due date for the first payment was the eighth of the month (8/8/13, according to the date in the little yellow box), and filed it in my bill box in the desk. On the fifth of this month, I sat down at the desk prepared to write out our bills for the first half of the month comfortable in the knowledge that they would all be paid slightly before they were actually due. (After having lived much of our married life having "more month left at the end of the money" than the other way around, I draw considerable comfort being able to meet our obligations fully each month now and even before they are technically "due.") I drew the statement from its envelope and came face to face with a terrible reality-- the due date was not 8/8/13, it was in fact 8/3/13. I must have blinked a dozen times in disbelief and even rubbed my eyes once or twice to see if I was accurately focusing. There it was... due date, 8/3/13. Normally, I would probably have shrugged my shoulders and gone ahead writing out the check without much further thought of the matter. However, I realized in that moment that making a late payment was grounds by which the lending institution could decide to assess the full interest charges on the amount and we would have taken this route in vain, thanks to my mistake. Feeling a little sick, I confessed my error to Bob and we promptly drove down to the bank to see what could be done on our behalf. All the way I imagined a dozen different plausible stories I could concoct to explain our predicament to the bank officer and insist that the error was not mine, thus excusing us from the consequences. Let me state that some of them were pretty good stories, I think... entirely believable and sure to draw pity and compassion from even the heart of Scrooge. When we reached our destination, though, the Holy Spirit quietly whispered in my ear, "Just tell the truth." I knew He was right and that the best policy truly is always honesty, so I swallowed my pride, took a deep breath, asked the Lord to give me courage, and spent a few moments in the bank officer's cubicle telling her of my mistake and asking if there was anything she could do to help us avoid the penalty of interest. By the miracle of modern day technology, she punched a few buttons on her computer keyboard and literally turned back the hands of time, logging the payment into the system for the 2nd of the month. Viola. It was done; the payment would not be registered as late, and there would be no penalty for my honest mistake. In that moment of time I understood even more fully the meaning of grace... the unmerited favor of someone extended to me.
Truth was so powerfully important to Jesus Christ that it is one of the names by which He chose to identify himself. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man shall come to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) He also stated, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32) Jesus Christ, the One who died for my sins, held the truth in highest esteem. If I am to call myself a Christian, a follower of Christ, so must I. Not once in my life have I told a lie and then later felt empowered or good about it. My conscience has been plagued and my spirit has been heavy with the knowledge of my deception, but never have I felt "free" when I have abandoned the truth.
Like so many things in life, lying and deceiving quickly become habits in the lives of those who practice them. I can think of few habits more destructive to relationships and more detrimental to our health and well-being. The Scriptures are resplendent with admonitions against them:
- Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. (Leviticus 19:11)
- No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.(Psalm 101:7)
- The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. (Proverbs 12:22)
- The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. (Proverbs 11:3)
Just Google up "scriptures regarding lies" and you'll find a wealth of very clear, concise warnings against the practice of deceit in any form.
As is the case with many sins in today's world, lying and deception have become acceptable ways to "get ahead." In fact, our society almost reveres those who are especially good at the practice. We have a tendency to accept the lie without question even when we know it's a lie. When called to accountability for telling a whopper of a lie in my presence one time, a former friend proudly declared, "It's my lie and I'll tell it any way I want!" (Take note here that I used the adjective "former" in describing this man.)
Walking in truth is freeing. A clear conscience is a treasure that cannot be bought at any price. In a world plagued by depression, ulcers, headaches, and raging insomnia, the man who speaks the truth will "...go [his] way in safety, and [his] foot will not stumble; when [he] lies down, [he] will not be afraid; when [he] lies down, [his] sleep will be sweet." (Proverbs 4:23-24) I am so eternally grateful that God has cleansed me from the sinful habit of lying. When tempted to fall back into the practice, I can victoriously proclaim, "The Son has set me free, and I am free indeed!" (John 8:36) God's grace is sufficient for me... who needs a lie?!
"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:19)
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