pastorrudytlc

People of the Word of God should especially be people who keep their word. Those who refer to themselves as truth seekers should at the very least be truth speakers! Christians should be those who when they pass out sentences, one does not have to worry if they have been laced with lies. Our speech should always be honest. We should ooze integrity and credibility. What we say should be what we intend to do.

But unfortunately that is not always the case. We live amidst a culture where lying has become an acceptable pastime. Advertising itself is built upon the very foundation of false statements. And in a self centered society, it has been deemed a good use of logic to say whatever one must to get ahead. Of course that all comes down to what you define by getting ahead! Must you sell your heart and soul to do it?

Think back to your childhood. Our parents did not have to sit us down and say, “Today we are going to learn how to fib!” We all pretty much picked that one up on our own quite naturally. Statements fly out of our mouth like, “Who, me?” “What did I do?” “Not I!” “It must have been my twin clone who inhabits my shoes when I least expect it!” Actually, I can bet that most of us have said something like, “Cross my heart and hope to die and stick a needle in my eye,” to beef up our claims. Promising things and wanting people to believe us sometimes demands that we resort to “swearing,” because the crowds are not used to people telling the whole truth and nothing but the simple truth!

The Bible challenges us to, “Let our Yes be Yes and our no be No!” It should be enough for us to just say Yes or No and not have to become overly dramatic to prove that we mean what we say! Straightforward honest speech though has become an endangered practice. Politicians rarely spout out the real facts. Our role models exaggerate to the point that most of us become exasperated! Athletes look right into the camera and with pointed finger demand that we believe them when they say they never cheated. But Houston, we have a problem and that is we already know that they did. Somebody want to tell the liar that he or she is beginning to buy into their own lies? Many think that if they repeat the same untruth long enough- that sooner or later it will just be accepted. But just because the crowds buy into it, doesn’t make it right!

Everything you say should be honest and authentic. Are you known for telling the truth? Just because the world system is built on lies doesn’t mean that the church should be buying into that real estate! God’s kids should be holding out for a more solid foundation! We must stay anchored to truth no matter how much hot air is blowing in the wind! Look at your life! If your life is characterized by a pattern of lying and if you are constantly invoking God’s name directly or indirectly through crazy oaths to try to convince others that you are telling the truth- especially if you are not- then your behavior is giving no clear evidence that you really believe in the One who claimed to be the Truth!

God will always give you the chance to tell the truth. He did so with Adam, Cain, Jonah and Peter just to name a few. By the way- He already knows what really happened so why not ditch the tale that is fiction and will just give you unnecessary friction? And while human beings have a history of making empty vows- isn’t it awesome that we serve a Lord who is a promise keeper?

Bottom line is that you will either be judged by your own word or by God’s! My first step to turning it all around is admitting the lie that I don’t need God! I do and so do you! We all do and the good news is that whosoever will may come and everyone who does- gets a clean slate because of what our Savior has done in spite of us! This doesn’t mean that in our entire life we will never say another thing again that isn’t absolutely true. As long as you have a tongue that works- it will be tied up from time to time! But the times we goof should be the exception and not the rule! Believes need to tell the truth. No more half lies. No more pretending! No more just saying what you think the other person just wants to hear! God is truth and God cannot lie. We who are his children should reflect his nature! If we live truth, we will love truth and speak truth and trust instead of disgust will follow. How about you?