The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9

“Tell a lie once and your truths become questionable.” – I don’t know the source of the quote, but it makes a valid point. Have you ever told (or lived) a lie? Has someone told a lie to you? In either instance, an unspoken trust has been broken and there are consequences.

Here’s an example. There was a time, not all that long ago when, for months, I sent emails, made phone calls, and stopped by the reception area several times to set up a meeting with a key nurse. Finally, I met the nurse in a local hospital and her first words to me were – “I just received your card five minutes ago.” Really. I suppose it would have been a little awkward for her to say, “I like meeting with pharmaceutical reps as much as I enjoy hearing the whirling sound of my dentist’s drill”, but it probably would have been more accurate.

Why is it that we feel compelled to make an attempt to deceive others at times? And why do we rationalize our behavior?

If you’ve read the narrative of Abraham in the book of Genesis, you are probably aware that God’s friend intended to deceive others on at least two occasions for fear of his own life (Genesis 12:13 and 20:2).

So, is God endorsing telling a partial truth or white lie? I’ve heard this before, but many things we read in the Bible are descriptive, not prescriptive. So when we read of murder, immorality, and deception, we should not consider it as some kind of heavenly endorsement.

There are times when it seems (smarter, wiser, expedient, safe) to lie, so it takes courage to remain faithful to the truth.

But, one of the great things about being committed to the truth is you do not have to remember what you said or to whom. It provides freedom in your communication and your relationships and so, let’s be unwavering in our allegiance to the truth.