Jeremiah 5:3
Search Jerusalem for honest people who try. If you can find even one, I'll forgive the whole city. Everyone breaks promises made in my name." I answered, "I know that you look for truth. You punished your people for their lies, but in spite of the pain, they became more stubborn and refused to turn back to you."
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We were watching a silly television sitcom recently where a man visited his ex-wife, and while he was there, he “lifted” a pair of diamond earrings he had given her shortly before she filed for divorce. He needed a birthday gift for his new girlfriend and had no money – and his justification was not only revenge but the claim that his first wife “never wore them!” The show ended with this man’s brother asking if he felt any remorse, and he held up a necklace and said something to the effect of “No… and it was even easier the second time.”
Albert Einstein defines insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Yet this is exactly what we seem to do with the truth. We know that our lies, cheating and deceit dishonor and disappoint God. We know that in the end, these behaviors create even larger problems for us. But we continue down the same path, repeating the same mistakes, and hoping for different results – this time!
The sitcom was truly silly, but it does serve to illustrate a very real point. Lying… and sin in general… becomes easier with practice. So while we may not consciously set out to get better at this over time, what seemed daunting and risky today may not seem so bad tomorrow. This is how people get into serious trouble with things like money. They “rob Peter to pay Paul” by taking a little money from their kids’ piggy bank to gamble, thinking the winnings will be more than enough to pay everyone back… and then some. But when the bet fails, and the money is gone, the gambler has to become more creative – and dishonest – about how and where to find more money for the next bet.
When you lie to a friend or family member about what you are doing or where you are going, it may be hard the first time. But it gets easier the more you practice. It may not seem like a bad thing to tell someone you accomplished something you didn’t – or to stretch the truth a little. But soon, you are well-versed in stretching things, and nobody can believe a word you say, because your claims are so outlandish and your reputation for exaggerating, at best, precedes you.
Maybe you have gotten so “good” at this that you honestly don’t know how to stop. If this is the case, it’s too late for me to tell you to never begin! But I do have help for you…and His name is Jesus. We can call on Jesus to help us accomplish whatever we cannot do on our own. We can ask Jesus to forgive us for our sins (which is the first step), and then we can call on Him to help us begin to rebuild our character and reputation. Jesus will give us the strength to tell the truth… even if it means we have to do without or make personal sacrifices. Believe me, none of them compares to the sacrifice HE made on the cross for us.
Examine your life today. Look in the nooks and crannies and see where you are practicing the insanity of lies, deceit, and sin of any kind. Confess these to Jesus and ask Him to help you get on your feet. Ask Jesus to help you avoid repeating the sins of your past. Give Him your burdens and free your mind to focus on what – and Who – really matters!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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