30 DAYS TO TAMING YOUR TONGUE – DAY 1

       

  

                 JUNE 1 - THE LYING TONGUE 

Everything we do and say must be based upon the truth; lies make a shaky foundation for any relationship. Lying comes in four primary forms:

1.  DECEITFULNESS

2. HALF-TRUTHS

3. EXAGGERATIONS

4. FLATTERY

We will be talking about the first three and save flattery for another day.

DECEITFULNESS

Have you ever “tweaked” your tax income by claiming something that wasn’t true to get a bigger refund?

Why do some people practice deception? Many do it for financial gains, for social advantage, to hide immoral acts or to obtain other “benefits. Deceit is in the Bible too. Remember the story of Jacob and Esau? The brothers where Jacob, whose name means “trickster”, deceived his father to get his brothers birthright. When Esau found out he threatened to kill Jacob. So Jacob was forced to leave the town and went to his Uncle Laban to live. Now “Uncle Laban” deceived Jacob a few times. First is that Jacob wanted to marry Rachel and after working for Laban for 7 years Laban gave (tricked) him in marrying another one of his daughters, Leah. Jacob had to work another 7 years before he could marry the woman that he loved. When Jacob abandoned his deceitful ways, God blessed him.

Deception takes place when you intentional try to get someone to believe something you know is not true. It occurs in numerous forms, depending upon the creativity and the desire of the deceiver.

When we engage in deceitfulness it is a slap in God’s face and can have dire consequences. When we make a choice not to trust him to handle a situation, when in essence decide He is a liar and will renege on His promise to meet our NEEDS.

We then proceed to make our own way by any means necessary-even being deceptive. In doing so we forfeit the good life God had planned for us.

HALF TRUTHS

I clearly recall a time many years ago, where I was out of town. Now my mother was a worrier and I had to report to her anytime I left town, where I was and what I was going. I felt like a teenager. Anyway, to not cause her the stress of worrying, many times I left town without telling her. Usually she didn’t call me when I had done so, but this one time she did. She said “ where are you?” , I said “ I am outside” which I was, but is was nowhere near being outside at my house, which I made her think. But the “undisclosed” information would have triggered her anxiety. See mother was thinking that I was outside at my home and thus I was lying. ANY intent to deceive is a lie, even if half of it is true.

That is why when we take an oath that we swear to tell the WHOLE truth, not a fraction or part of it.

EXAGGERATING

Do you know of any who embellishes a story in order to get more attention from a listener? I do. In fact, I know a few of them. Exaggerating may seem harmless, but it is another form of lying.  If you are known for exaggerating, or “stretching the truth”, you will soon lose credibility with others. You have heard the saying, “you should only believe about half of anything they say”. Is that how you would want others to think of you?

It is one thing to get excited and enthusiastic telling a story, just avoid exaggerations. Stick to the faces at face value and resist the urge to be the center of attention by engaging in this form of lying. 

REFLECTION AND READINGS:

PROVERBS 12:22, PSALM 120:2, REVELATIONS 21:8, PROVERBS 17:20, 1 PETER 3:10

1.    Of the three categories of lies listed above, which do you find yourself most frequently tempted?

2.   Read the story of Esau and Jacob (Genesis 27). What “benefit” motivated Jacob to trick his father into giving him the blessing of the firstborn?

3.   Do you feel there is every a justifiable reason for lying? If yes, explain. Can you find a biblical reference for your rationale?

TODAY’S AFFIRMATION