Small Lies Lead to Big Lies
16 There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
-- Proverbs 6:16-19
Our pastor continued his sermon series Sunday one the six things, really seven things, that the Lord hates. Yesterday’s topic was on “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies.” They just sort of go together, don’t you think?
Most of us don’t consider ourselves to be liars. Do you? Of course not! But let me ask you something: When someone asks how they look in a new outfit, with a new hairstyle, or something similar, do you tell the truth even when you think it’s awful? Or do you fib just a little to spare their feelings and promote harmony in the relationship?
We don’t think of those little things as lies but they are. And little lies tend to relax us just enough to think that maybe a larger lie is okay. And so it goes until we just excuse every lie as okay. But it isn’t. No lie is okay.
What about a false witness? Ever gossiped about anyone? Sure you have. We all have. Are you certain that what you’re hearing and saying is correct? Probably not. We just assume that if someone we know said it, then it must be true. Usually it’s not.
The first communications course I ever took in college -- a requirement, I might add -- talked about how hard it is to find and keep the truth. It’s difficult even when we try to get the facts correct. The reason? People don’t remember correctly. It’s why police officers can talk to five different accident witnesses and get five different stories.
So when someone repeats something to you, and you repeat it, and so on, then it’s not likely truth. And that’s without even considering the you shouldn’t be talking about anyone else anyway. It’s not okay to repeat things that way. It’s isn’t.
God wants us to speak truth. And he wants us to refrain from telling lies about other people. The end.
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