Lying to Myself - Martin Wiles

Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. Psalm 119:29 NLT

I was telling myself a big one—lying to myself—and the trouble was, I believed it.

My lie began about the time I turned fourteen. It went something like this: “You don’t need school.” If I didn’t need school, I didn’t need to study either. So I did little of it. After I started driving, another lie popped up. If I didn’t need school, why go? Every opportunity I got, I ditched class.

By the time I reached the twelfth grade, the lie had grown. School wasn’t necessary, studying wasn’t essential, and attending was optional. Why go at all? So I quit. I found a full-time job at a grocery store but had to lie about being out of school to get it. After several months, they cut my position. I finally decided to tell myself the truth: I needed an education.

Knowing God’s Word is a privilege. One which keeps us from lying to ourselves. When we know God’s Word, we won’t lie by telling ourselves we’re okay and don’t need God. Instead, we’ll believe the verse that reads, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Neither will we lie by telling ourselves we’ll live forever. We might as well live it up without worrying about whom we’re hurting. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) squashes that lie.

If we lie to ourselves by believing there’s no God we’re accountable to, we read, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

And if we imagine we can get to heaven by any route we choose, we find, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me (Jesus)” (John 14:6).

Lies are always harmful, but the ones affecting our present happiness and eternal destiny are more so. Others may lie to and about us. We may lie to ourselves. But God will never lie. His Word contains unchanging truth that doesn’t vary by time or culture.

Feed on the truth from God’s Word.

Prayer: Father, thank You that we can always depend on You to tell us the truth about sin and ourselves. 

Tweetable: Are you lying to yourself? 

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