We've all told lies. Its something that is almost impossible not to do. But, have you ever told so many lies that you begin to believe them to be truth?
The Bible says in James 3:8, "But no human being can tame the tongue. It
is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." The tongue can be the most
wicked weapon on earth, so use it wisely and speak your words with
caution. As Christians, we shouldn't fill our lives with deceit. We
should always strive to leave honest, open lives that are full of trust
and love. But, since we are all human, sometimes it is hard to avoid
lying.
White lies and small omissions are still lies - we should always
remember that. The option to lie should not be a in a Christian's life;
we should always think of the truth first. We are not made perfect and
we are tainted by original Sin. But no matter how imperfect we are, we
should always strive to be good people - and this means not lying.
Proverbs 17:7 "Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler"
What do we do as Christians when we not only find ourselves lying, but watch others being deceived by a lie? or multiple lies?
Do we call out the liar, or do we seek God and Trust that He will deal with the issue? We've all been there - someone has said a lie about us and it just lights a fire in our bellies. We want the lie exposed and we want the wrong to be righted. But is that what we are supposed to do? Do we go to that person directly and ask them to tell the truth and let them know how much their lie has hurt us?
Lying is more perilous than it seems. It's more Satan-like than
Christ-like. Jesus referred to Satan as "a liar and the father of lies"
(John 8:44). By contrast, Jesus declared himself to be the Truth (John
14:6).
I decided to do some online research into lies. On Christianity today I found an article entitled "The Seven Levels of Lying". Eye opening and so true. When I read it certain people came to my mind - people who had started a small lie and then progressed thru the levels at alarming speed. Whats sad is that its apparent to some outsiders but not the person his or herself. Below are the seven levels:
1. You lie.
A single lie can become a match that lights a bonfire. Unless we confess the truth about our lie, we are probably on our way to Level #2.
2. You self-protect.
That is, you lie about having lied. If you lie about one
thing, it is likely you will lie about another. "Lies are weaklings; they need bodyguards."
3. You develop a habit of lying.
A liar at this level might, just out of habit, lie about something trivial for no benefit.
4. You self-deceive.
You now believe the lies that you are telling others. We can lie so effectively that we even lie to ourselves. We self-deceive.
.
At Level #4, a person enters into denial. He stops
looking at his internal moral compass and therefore ceases to feel
guilty anymore.
5. You rationalize.
Now you not only believe the lies are not lies, you
justify the lies as a positive good. Now the lying is not just part of
normal life, but a virtue—it helps the company grow, it saves jobs, and
so forth.
Level #5 lying is especially tempting at the leadership
level. One of my mentors warned me to be careful in taking on the
deanship at A. W. Tozer Theological Seminary.
He said, "The higher up you go in an organization, the harder it is to
tell the truth." A lot of times the lie is justified for the sake of the
institution or some other larger good.
Level #5 lies happen in the personal realm too: "You
don't understand," says the adulteress. "My husband and I never had a
real marriage. We have had 30 years of cohabitation and child-rearing,
but nothing like what I have with my new lover. He and I are
experiencing love for the very first time. This is not adultery. It is
love."
6. You develop your technique.
The main technique is to compartmentalize. You start
isolating statements, ignoring what was said in other contexts. Level #6
liars are often found in the upper echelons of bureaucracy. A Level #6
liar might smoothly move from one constituent to another, saying each of
these things, swearing in each instance that he is telling the truth:
"This institution is going to stay true to our stated core values."
"Core values reside in people. It really doesn't matter what is stated on paper."
"Don't let those stated values stop you from giving;
it's long been public knowledge that I myself disagree with three or
four of them."
7. You see it as your duty to lie.
Level #7 lying flips duty on its head, making lying
mandatory. For example, in a dysfunctional family that operates at Level
#7, grown siblings might kowtow to a parent for the sake of keeping
dark family secrets hidden. In organizational life, Level #7 executives
repeat corporate lies and say to their lieutenants, "Beware of
self-anointed whistleblowers; they are critical and self-righteous."
Level #7 liars stone the prophets (John 16:2).
Because people are created in the image
of God, we can't simply lie without trying to seem truthful in some
way. That explains why Level #5 liars take pains to rationalize their
thinking and Level #7 liars assume the pseudo-upright posture of being
dutiful.
When we lie, we violate our relationships. Not only with those we lie to, but with God. God is truth - to lie is to go against God. In order to stay out of the levels of lying, we need to have someone we can go to who will hold us accountable. A person we can confess to when we lie. If we do that, we will not risk getting to level 2, 3, etc. Its hard not to lie, but when we do and we are convicted by the Holy Spirit of our lie, we need to repent and turn from it. We are a broken and sinful world, and God does not expect us to be perfect as He is. But He does call us to righteousness and a life of STRIVING to be like Jesus.
When you catch yourself lying, pray the following verse:
"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the
way everlasting" (Ps. 139:23-24).
Then confess your lie and ask for forgiveness. Trust me, confessing is easier than continuing down the levels of lying.
