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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A Proven Word - Martin Wiles

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. Psalm 18:30 NLT

Befriending a liar is a taxing endeavor.

Ben was a friend who entered my family by way of marriage. Initially, I took everything he said at face value. Then I began talking with someone who had known him longer than I had. Suddenly, Ben’s stories took on a new appearance. Stories he told just seemed too good to be true. Perhaps the truth was in the story somewhere, but it was embellished so much that it was unrecognizable. My friendship with Ben was never what it could have been because I couldn’t trust what he said as the complete truth.

Ann also entered my family by way of marriage. Whereas Ben exaggerated to make himself look better or to make his stories more interesting, Ann told plain lies. Not so much in the words she spoke but in the information she withheld. As with Ben, I initially took her words at face value. Then I began talking with people who had known her longer than I had. Their stories agreed: “You can’t believe anything she says. She’s a perpetual liar.” 

But the story doesn’t stop with two. Charlie was another by-marriage family member who had trouble telling the truth. Not initially when she entered the family but later on when she went through some type of mid-life crisis. Determining whether or not I could believe her made associating with her taxing—and unpleasant.

Thankfully, God doesn’t mince words, renege on words, or utter words that aren’t true. Every command God gives has a purpose, and every promise He makes will come to pass. Friends—and family members, who are as good as their word are much easier to have a relationship with. When I’m never lied to, I never have to worry about whether what they say is true. I accept it as fact.

Each and every word God speaks is truth. In a time when many are wondering where truth can be found, I’m betting my life on the truth of God’s Word. According to its own testimony, it is inspired, relevant, and error-free. God’s Spirit inspired the writers, and they penned what He wanted said. It is truth that has stood the test of time and will endure to the end of time.

When you’re looking for something you can depend upon, look to God’s Word.

Prayer: Father, we thank You for giving us Your Word, which is dependable, trustworthy, inspired, and profitable for any situation we face in life. 

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Fair and Square

Spotless, clean, immaculate, pristine…words that had described my credit record for the past thirty years. But not now. 

What I carefully guarded was spoiled by another’s decision and made painfully transparent when I attempted to purchase my next vehicle. Purchasing a two-year-old automobile with 60,000 miles required financing it for five years to obtain an affordable payment. The reason? An excessive interest rate due to my credit rating. I thought it was extremely unfair…even criminal. Read more...

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Flashback Friday - Martin Wiles

Speaking Truth

She was in a precarious situation. Was it acceptable to lie?

The battle commander assembled his troops and made plans to defeat his quarry. Little did Rahab know she was part of the strategy but would be faced with an ethical dilemma in the process. The army’s incursion was delayed until a report from two spies was received…two spies who happened upon Rahab’s house. When the king sent sentries to capture them, Rahab hid them beneath piles of flax and said, They left the city at dusk, as the city gates were about to close, and I don’t know where they went (Joshua 2:5 NLT).

Rahab’s predicament is one which believers don’t unanimously agree on…Is it ever permissible to lie? Read more...

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