Colossians 3:9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.
People lie for various reasons. Most common reasons would be to avoid negative consequences, punishments, to impress others or to obtain rewards, favour or approval of people. Lies that are trivial and cause no harm to others are categorized as “white lies”. Lies with manipulative motives are dark deceptions. “White Lie” or “Black Lie” – lie is a lie and it is an “evil little fox” that will spoil happy homes and hearty relationships. Lying is a sin and liars do not inherit the kingdom of God.
Lies are little foxes that spoil the vine. Liars will lose integrity in the relationship. Lying has consequences. When liars are caught, (which they will at some point), their image and self-esteem will be tarnished. Lying adds to an emotional burden on the liar leaving them anxious that they will be found and caught. When the truth is discovered it shrouds the individual with a sense of guilt, shame and low self-esteem.
Jacob fled from his father-in-law Laban with his wives and livestock, to return back to his hometown. Rachel stole her father’s household idols. When Laban came looking for his idols, she hid them. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing (Genesis 31:34). She pretended that she had her monthly sickness and sat on the stolen gods. Rachel’s lie became a snare. Pathological and habitual lying eventually becomes a curse.
Catch the little foxes of white or black lies:
1. Culpable: Normally a person who lies does not stop with one lie; they have to keep on lying to save their face. Sooner or later the lies will be exposed leaving the liar guilty, shameful and culpable.
2. Callous: Habitual lying will make the heart callous over time.
3. Curse: Jacob, not knowing that his favorite wife had lied, pronounced a curse that anyone who had stolen anything from Laban would die. Not long after, Rachel died during childbirth, probably from over bleeding. The little fox of lies took her life.
Destroy the ‘evil-fox’ of lies.
Prayer: Dearest Holy Spirit, give me the strength to speak the truth even if I will be oppressed, reprimanded or ostracized. Amen.
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