Goodness. I feel so led to share this right now. My little fingers couldn’t type fast enough. And as I was sitting in bed, having some quiet time this morning, I sensed an urgency that completely redirected my attention. This is, admittedly, an odd thing to wake up to. I just feel that for some of us – there needs to be a re-awakening to TRUTH. Our spiritual life depends on it.
Little tiny “white lies” (as some often refer to them), are blinding and incredibly dangerous because we are training our hearts towards deception.
Whenever we choose to cover up the truth, or exchange the truth for a lie, (no matter how insignificant we think it may be) we partner with the father of lies and we leave an open door to begin taking on his character.
And I’ve noticed something. A tendency to lie is sneaking in to people’s hearts not because they just want to lie and want to walk in deception. No. Lying is attempting to undermine in a much different way. It’s coming in through a very different, unsuspected door: EXHAUSTION.
At a time when doing more is applauded, when it’s not okay to have an open space on our calendars that we set aside and guard to do nothing (like taking Sabbath)….at a time when energy is treated like a slave and we continually ignore the warning signs and limits our bodies, minds, and emotions are screaming at us about….At a time when we are overcommitted, saying yes to more – even when we subconsciously know we shouldn’t – but do anyway for fear we will be overlooked, rejected, or not included if we don’t. At a time when our children and spouses pay the price of our very divided attention because we continually convince ourselves we can do it all if we just get more organized or “multitask”. At a time when there are fewer and fewer dinners around the table, with home cooked meals, and meaningful conversations that last longer than 5 seconds. So many of us are just down right EXHAUSTED.
But here’s the interesting thing. Instead of admitting it and making adjustments necessary to realign our lives in healthy ways, the first lie we tell is to ourselves. We can do it. Or even if we don’t think we can do it – we need to figure out how to do it. We have no option.
And this causes – without even noticing it – an undercurrent of shame. Because we simply can’t admit that we’ve hit….our….limit. The emotional weight that would add to our exhausted state is just too much to keep piling on. So – the lies we are telling ourselves have to be translated into a new language – and they become lies that we tell others. And we give ourselves permission, we justify it, because we’re too ashamed to admit the truth and because the nature of lies has always been and will always be trying to convince us, “you will not surely die.” So….we translate them.
Lies about why we didn’t show up when we said we would.
Lies about why we canceled the meeting last minute.
Lies about why we didn’t go to the party.
Lies about why we didn’t follow through with that dream – that goal we were passionate about.
Lies about why we didn’t call.
Goodness, lies even about why we didn’t text back.
Lies about why we didn’t go see that friend who was sick, in the hospital.
Don’t get me wrong. Things truly do come up. Life happens and the unexpected sometimes throw curve balls at us and our plans just have to change. But the more and more I pursue truth – the more and more sharpened my spiritual senses become to recognizing deception. (See Hebrews 5:12-14) There is something that just pierces my heart when I can tell someone is lying – and not just lying to me – but lying to themselves. Thankfully, God’s love in my heart keeps me from getting offended or angry at them when I see this happening. I don’t push people away when I become aware of lies, I turn towards them, because the truth is, their heart is sick. Their heart is trapped. It is only truth that will set them free, and I (and you, as children of God) have been given those keys to unlock those doors and bring freedom.
The kingdom within you will become the kingdom around you. King-dom. The dominion of the king. To be ruled in our hearts by the King of kings, Jesus, means our hearts are ruled, governed, by TRUTH (remember, He is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE). But to come into agreement with lies, however “small” we believe they may be, means we are giving permission for our hearts to be violently overruled by a force that is in complete opposition to the truth.
Stop. Just stop.
Life is hard enough. We don’t need to be picking up the sword and like Saul, thrusting it into our own soul, bringing about our own spiritual death, to cover our shame.
Choose LIFE. Choose TRUTH.
Cry out to God with a repentant heart that says, “Keep falsehood and lies far from me…” (Prov 30:8) “Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalm 141:3) “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” (Psalm 138:23) and “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” (Psalm 51:12)
Lies are a terrible taskmaster, friends. And one lie begets another….begets another…..begets another. And soon enough, we – by our own choosing – train ourselves to operate in them. But God is good, gracious, slow to anger, and more powerful. And if we will simply bring this to Him, and ask Him to reset us, to help us, to renew us….if we will simply confess to Him our desire to walk in truth, He will rescue us, and we’ll begin to experience HIS power and HIS peace once again.
Linda G Riddle 