Lying is probably one of the easiest sins to slip into and one of the hardest to escape. Lies have a tendency never go away, they are the bane of those foolish enough to use them. I really cannot think of very many sins that approach lies in their ability to destroy relationships, and ultimately lives. Every sin has consequences, but lies seem to have consequences that outstrip most of their fellows. Proverbs 19:5, 9 states that those who lie will not go unpunished, but rather that the liar is condemned and cannot escape.
I have told more than my fair share of lies. I made the tragic mistake of deceiving my family and those closest to me in order to cover another sin. I was so humiliated by my sin that I couldn't bear the thought of allowing my family and friends see my dramatic short-coming. Most days I want so badly to be perfect that I don't want to admit my failings to myself, much less to those for whom I have respect. I spend so much time trying to wish away my failure that I forget that confessing (owning up to) them is only way to be free. Lies not only weigh the liar down with guilt and the fear that someone might find out, they also break the trust of those we hold most dear.
I have found it's just not worth the cost. Stealing people's respect isn't worth breaking their trust. It's just not.
As I look at my own life, I find that the times my tongue has strayed from the Truth are the times I was not drawing my identity from my Savior. We are sinners. I am a sinner, but I have been forgiven of those sins. It is absurd to cover the beautiful truth of Christ's redemptive majesty with a facade of pathetic earthly perfection. I lie when I want the approval of those around me. I lie when I look to my friends and acquaintances for validation. I lie when I look away from my eternal savior.
When I place my identity in his hands, my short-comings become the bass line to His infinitely intricate melody. It is upon the abyss of my failure that His architecture is most astonishing. The beauty of Christ's gift to us lies in the fact that we are not whole or complete for this season, but the Spirit fills the holes and finishes the masterwork that looks so ruined without Him.
Some days I want so badly to be perfect and, in that perfection, to be honored. And sure, a few well placed lies might make me look really good and cover the worst of my short comings. The irony is that this doesn't draw others to me. People who appear perfect are intimidating. It's not fun to go to lunch or throw the frisbee with someone who is flawless. It makes the rest of us mortals feel like crap. By fashioning an illusion of an immaculate life, I inadvertently demean everyone who is honest about who they are.
I think I am learning to be a man who is visibly flawed, because broken and flawed men bring the most honor to the one who accomplishes things with them. No glory or applause goes to the man who gets his arm cut off, but the doctor that make the arm workable again will be lauded. Attention and honor are not good for me. It only inflates my already obese ego when others take notice of who I am or what I have done. I want to a neon sign that points toward my King. No one actually examines the sign, they are merely interested in the object it is advertising. I pray that, by God's grace, I can learn to be 100% defined by my Lord and that every word I speak or write would be a neon sign to Him.
