Command Eight: Speak the Truth
The real challenge I'd like to give to us is to be a people that lives this command. I pray we are able to speak the truth in love. Be a community of accountability, depth and character. That we would be obedient in our walk and passionate in our pursuit. Some things that would be interesting blog discussion that we didn't get into today except for a little bit at the 9:30... Is it O.K. to lie to protect another person? What do we do with the passage where a prostitute hides some Israelite spies and God rewards her for it? What do we do with the passages that talk about God using or sending lying spirits? The other thing that I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on is why lying is so prevelant in our lives? What is it that drives us to be so dishonest, even with the littlest things? And why is it so hard to tell people the truth in love? ben
My mom and I went to a lot of Cubs games my senior year of high school. She’d call in with some excuse, got me out of the class in which I was getting straight A’s and we made wonderful memories. Ultimately we lied, but in the grand scheme of my life – I wouldn’t have traded it for the world. How can something great still be wrong? We lied.
My college roommate was being abused by her boyfriend. In a grand scheme with our RA and campus security, I had to lie to him about knowing of her whereabouts and a bunch of other stuff. We ended up collecting enough evidence to suspend him from school and may have saved my roommate’s life. Were those lies worth it?
What I’ve learned is when I’ve been caught in a lie – it just wrecks my integrity and creditability. (Kind of in a Chicken Little sort of way – who’s going to believe you are telling the truth when you’ve been caught in a lie before?) That doesn’t mean I still don’t catch myself lying, because it’s easy to do and sometimes I lie to myself and think its kinder than telling the truth. (Although I will always tell someone that they have something in their teeth.)
Maybe again it has to do with that darn CORE…and how important relationships are to us? Maybe lying is prevelant because our lives are centered on other things before what God would want for us to say or do?
(Comment this)
Romans 12:17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
I read somewhere an idea that there may be certain levels to moral absolutes. Perhaps showing mercy for someone or doing the lesser of two evils is more important than lying at that moment. But does that still make it ok?
I'd be interested to read the passages about sending lying spirits as I'm not exactly familiar of where in the bible this is located.
(Comment this)
Relationships were mentioned. I don't know any of my neighbors. I don't know anything about any of you.
What will be my testimony be when I do interact with you? You may never know that what I'm saying is true. You may not want to know me but if for some reason we do get to talk, what will those words be? (Comment this)