2013
If we say, “We have a relationship with God” and yet live in the dark, we’re lying. We aren’t being truthful.
But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. John 1:6-9 (God’s Word)
It’s weird but in my journal today I was writing about honesty, yesterday I wrote about Godincidence and yet here we are again. Honesty and living in the light of Christ. We can lie to the whole world including ourselves but even if we lie to God it is irrelevant because he already knows we have lied.
To lay bare our entire lives including the hidden bits that no one knows about, that must be our aim to be living in the light of Christ. Little white lies, we talk ourselves into using them to save face (pride), to avoid conflict or in a misguided sense of kindness. However telling the truth, being honest can hurt a person’s feelings. As Christians we have to work out a way of being honest whilst staying compassionate.
More than that, we have to learn how to be honest with ourselves, and others and God. It doesn’t come naturally, it is a conscious decision, although as we practice it, it becomes easier until it is inherent within us to be honest.
Saying nothing, is that lying by omission? If we are to stay in the light of the Lord we must be in relationship with him, so we can’t say nothing to him. By surrendering completely to his will, and if we have brought our sins before him and been made new, we can only be honest, no matter how raw it makes us feel.
Some sins don’t go away, they are hiding just out of our view, waiting for us to slide backward. In October and November 2011, I was being ground down by a family member and it caused me eventually to backslide into smoking again. I forgot to call on the Lord for help and instead went to my secular crutch, cigarettes. I now have to work out how I am going to stop again.
Lying is even easier to backslide into, so we must be watchful of lies and how they can invade not just our speech but our minds and hearts.
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34 (NIV)
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