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Proverbs 17:7

      This proverb is really in the Scriptures. It was not put here because of current political figures. Many a ruler lies, but that does not excuse the lies. But what else does this proverb say, and say to us?

      I am often wary of people whose words are too smooth, too polished, too calculated. Timeshare sales staff have this down to an art. Once they start talking every word is planned. And at the end of the day, they get your signature on the dotted line. My wife won’t let me go to any of these presentations because I won’t buy anything. I can’t be persuaded. And I am not very polite with smooth talkers. I am too abrupt.

      Smooth talking and foolishness don’t fit well together. That is because we don’t need more fools! The world has enough to go around. I think they must breed in the news media! Someone who just parrots what they have heard without any thought about whether it makes sense or matches the facts doesn’t help society.

      We need to learn to question, to think for ourselves. Just because someone can say what they say in a way that gets us excited doesn’t mean what they say is true. We knew the math on the Affordable Care Act never added up. It is impossible to care for more people at a higher level of care for less money. At least not without taking over the whole process and controlling how much everyone earns, and kicking the lawyers out of the picture. Simple math!

      I guess the question for us is this: Do we sugarcoat our words in order to convince people? Our ideas need to stand on their own merit, not on our ability to sell them. Personality should not be what sells ideas. But unfortunately, personality has become one of the key factors in convincing people. We have celebrity endorsements for almost every product.

      Be careful what you give your name to. Liking things on Facebook is adding your name and reputation to something. And once your name gets attached, it can be almost impossible to detach it.

Crying Wolf

Proverbs 14:25

      With the abundance of crime shows, both those portraying the crime in glorious detail and those dramatizing the solving of them, we know the value of a good witness to a crime. Solving the case can hinge on the availability and reliability of the witnesses. And in the case of serial criminals, lives may be at stake.

      We want our children to tell us the truth when we ask them, “Did you do this?” And yet the sinful nature raises its ugly head even in three year olds. And when we can’t trust the answer, we begin to doubt every communication. Can we trust anything being said?

      When we talk to kids about lying we often tell the story of about the little boy who cried “Wolf” one too many times. When the wolf actually came, no one believed him and he was eaten! The moral is that we shouldn’t lie about danger. And yet how many of us should be eaten by the wolf? We get in a crisis and call in the cavalry. But if we have too many crises, how can we expect people to know when a real crisis arrives?

      Once someone lies to me I put a filter between myself and that person. I question what they say in every circumstance. The more they lie, the stronger the filter. And what really gets me is when they lie to try to manipulate me or the circumstances. When they purposefully hide the truth, that gets me really mad.

      This could be why lawyers have such a bad reputation. They often tell only part of the truth in order to win a case. Truth is black and white. Truth doesn’t come in shades of grey. So when we try to tell “little white lies” we are really telling horribly black lies.

      Ouch! That was very insensitive, wasn’t it! Our proverb tells us that lives are at stake. We need to tell the truth.

Liar, Liar

Proverbs 12:17-20

The truths of this first proverb might seem obvious, but think about it. Honest people are honest. Liars lie. There is no middle ground. That is why we need to be honest. No one will know if you are telling the truth “this time” if you have lied. And lying really gets people in trouble.

One of the greatest hurts when affairs happen is the loss of trust. The offending spouse tends to lie about what happened. Then they come out with the truth a little bit at a time. This trickling of truth leaves the offended spouse constantly wondering what else is not being told. They looked the offender in the eyes and they lied, and they didn’t pick up on it. Maybe they are lying again.

These kinds of lies cut to the depths of a relationship. Instead of helping the process of healing, these words cut deeper. Often, the injury of the lie creates a moral blow. Many relationships never recover from the lie.

Being always honest has a healing effect. When words can be trusted it places our whole being into rest mode. We are safe when honest words are spoken. We don’t have to double think, or check behind us. Honesty heals. Honesty only gets better over time. Lies stink worse the longer they sit.

So what do you do if lying has become a way of life for you? If you start to tell the truth now, today, lots of people will be hurt. That is true, but eventually, if you continue to be honest, trust will be built, maybe for the first time. Most people know something is wrong when a liar is lying. Their gut tells them something. That is because very few people are perfect at lying. There are small cues that lying is happening. Remember the TV show Lie to Me? We do telegraph the truth.

Lying runs deep. It usually starts as a way to protect oneself from the consequences of an action. We get away with it, so we try it again, next time we are in trouble. If we don’t get caught in our lie, we are on our way to becoming a liar. And usually our lies will become larger over time, emboldened by the past experiences of “getting away with it.” There can even be a thrill, a physically good feeling when we don’t get caught. That feeling then drives the lying behavior. We don’t feel “normal” unless we lie. Telling the truth doesn’t “feel” right.

Remember, you be honest and tell lies. One lie makes you a liar. So….. be honest.