There are six things the Lord hates –
no, seven things he detests: haughty
eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil,
feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who
sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs
6:16 NLT)
Where are the truth seekers? Today’s culture is literally riddled with
falsehood. From false advertising, false
claims, false identifications, false promises, to false accusations; there
seems to be a lack of desire to seek the truth.
Those in the highest offices of government feel no compunction, if
telling a lie garners them an advantage over an opponent. Others make no apologies for exaggerating or
stretching the truth. We are quick to
label these half-truths as “little white lies”.
Here are a list of “little white
lies” that are on common use today:
·
You
look wonderful!
·
Don’t
worry. He doesn’t bite.
·
A
child can assemble it. All that’s needed
is a screwdriver.
·
Guaranteed
for life.
·
Of
course I remember you.
·
This
won’t hurt. You’ll just feel a little discomfort.
·
Drop
in any time. You’re always welcome.
·
The
doctor will be with you in just a moment.
·
You
don’t need an umbrella. It’s not going
to rain.
·
The
car has low mileage.
Let me share
in interesting experience I had with the computer. I went on the internet and asked: “When is a lie, not a lie?” I thought the computer would have a heart
attack. It got all befuddled and in the
end accused me of deception.
Isn’t that one of the problems with
lying? When we lie not only is the truth
being suppressed, but we are leading someone else astray. To say the least, this is deception.
Why do people resort to lying
instead of facing up to the truth? A few
suggestions come to mind:
·
To
save face in light of a revealing truth.
·
To
cast doubt on another person’s reputation or character.
·
To
try and elevate ourselves in front of others.
·
To
put someone down.
·
To
gain an advantage.
·
To
avoid a setback.
I’m sure you
can come up a few more reasons, none of which are valid in the eyes of God.
How does God view these so-called
“little white lies?” The writer of
Proverbs is quite clear when he says that God “hates,” or “detests” – a lying tongue and a false witness. “When is a lie not a lie?” -- Ans: There is never a time when a lie is
not a lie.
We must be very careful when
accusing individuals of being a “liar.”
To do so in my opinion makes us judgmental. I can say to a person, “You are not telling
the truth,” or “I believe you are lying,” but I’m not going to be judgmental
and label you as a “liar.”
To me the term “liar” refers to
someone that is incapable of telling the truth.
God placed Satan in that category when he said, “For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do
the evil things he does. He was a
murderer from the beginning. He has
always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his
character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NLT)
Let it be said of each of us that we
are “truth seekers” and always ready to be bearers of the truth of the word of
God.
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