Keys to the Kingdom
This is a phrase everyone has heard, and you possibly heard it first on the playground. It’s interesting that even little kids don’t like to play with liars. I had a neighbor once and she was nicknamed “Liar Lori.“ I didn’t name her that, but another young girl did.
I witnessed a lie when I was in first grade. There were six of us sitting at our table and the teacher walked by, checking our work. When Mrs. Neil stopped at our table, she spoke to K in a not-happy tone, pointing to the floor and asked, “What is that?” I looked down and saw a yellowish liquid. K replied, “Milk.“ I thought that was a weird answer since milk is white. Obviously, poor K had wet her pants. I’m not sure, but I think the lie was more disturbing to Mrs. Neil that the mess on the floor. This incident happened in 1964 and I still remember the impact of lying.
Sometimes life gets messy and you’ll be tempted to lie to try to clean up the mess. But if you’re interested in living a life above reproach and bringing glory to your heavenly Father, you’ll choose the high road of honesty. You cannot be a person of integrity if you lie. Where I grew up we said, “I wouldn’t trust her any further than I could throw her.“ As always, the Word of God is our roadmap for following after truth. Lying is serious business and it is a sin. But certainly don’t take my word for it. Here are just a few scriptures about what God has to say about liars.
“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 in a family (Proverbs 6:16-19 NLT).
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth” (Proverbs 12:22 NLT).
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars — their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8 NLT).
Some believers think that a white lie is alright. It doesn’t matter what color it is, a lie is a lie and God hates it. We all need to be extremely careful about what comes out of our mouth. Think before you speak; consider how you should word your conversation in order for it to be appropriate, considerate, and honest.
The Key: If your pants are on fire, stop running from speaking the truth.