6-29-21 Why Do We Lie?

Daily Devotion: Why Do We Lie? - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org 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 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/why-do-we-lie/ - Listen We know that lying is wrong, so why do we do it? Often it’s because we’ve been caught doing something wrong, so we want to find a way to explain it. But we’ll also lie to save face or lie to keep from offending someone. Regardless, commandment nine of the Ten Commandments tells us, “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16 NLT). Or, simply put, “You shall not lie.” There are a number of ways we lie, from outright lies to so-called little white lies. But there’s also another way we lie, and that is through gossiping and backbiting. For example, when we say things like “Have you heard . . .” or “Hey, I don’t know if this is true, but . . .” or “I wouldn’t tell you this, but I know it won’t go any further . . . ,” that is gossip. The word gossip even hisses when we say it. It reminds us of the Serpent’s temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Devil really is in the details here because we can end up slandering someone or destroying their reputation by saying something that isn’t factually true. I’ve often said that it’s always a good idea to apply the acronym T.H.I.N.K. before we speak: Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If what you’re about to say doesn’t meet those standards, then don’t say it. Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things that God hates, and interestingly, two of them have to do with lying. Not only that, but Jesus described the Devil as “the father of lies” (John 8:44 NLT). So when we lie, we’re behaving more like the children of the Devil than the children of God. God hates it when His people lie.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more