Lies

Lies

Integrity. It is worthy of every believer in Christ. Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. Every believer in Christ who is considered as part of the body of Christ, can be sure that when push comes to shove, their integrity must win out.

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Proverbs 11:3

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The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

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Whether you recognize it or not, lies lack integrity. There is no principle of good in lies, there is only selfish motivation. To lie is to create ease, or maintain power, or to deceive. But knowing this, we all are placed in circumstances where being honest can create loss, hurt, suffering, even devastation. Honesty in a world based on lies, comes at a cost.

Covetous is actually a basis for lies. Covetous is defined as wanting something that we desire, and maintaining it at cost to ourselves or others. The serpent lied to Eve to get his desired outcome. Jacob deceived Isaac to gain Esau's birthright. Judas lied to Jesus to escape repenting his treachery. What we value that stands between us and our faith, is open season to lies. And these lies we carry forward, and without repent, separate us from serving with integrity.

Lies turn what is holy into something that is wicked. For example, lies told to a loved one, take what is pure and turn it into something that must be maintained. This is the root of mistrust, divorce, abuse, and every other breakdown in our human relationships. This proclamation is defined best by remembering we should have the Father first in all our relationships. If we love the Father above all things, we have no reason to love others less. 

Love is full, and love is also foreign to the world and its ways. Love demands selfless sacrifice and sincerity in our existence. Here, we are raised to lie to keep from causing suffering in others. Jesus showed us that the opposite is what honors the Father. Integrity is valued above comfort.

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Matthew 12:47-50

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Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

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He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?”

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Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.

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For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

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No matter the worldly cost, lies will only separate you from the Truth. There is no deception in the eternal conscience of God. So whenever you lie, you are working on your own will, and creating a distance that only repent and fruits worthy of that repentance will mend.

This topic is difficult for me, in the way that it is humbling. I have a co worker whose actions are against policy, and these actions can get our whole team in trouble. But because he is a bully, we all allow him to continue doing what he wishes, because none of us want the abuse he hands out. So our, my integrity is effected. And whenever I am at work and dealing with this man, my heart and mind is clouded, and my will fights against my faith in God. And because of this, I find myself reacting to what he says in an agreeable and false manor. I am lying to him while lying for his own sake! What a disaster! And now my heart is troubled and my work seems more like a burden, because I am.maintaining these deception. What I need to do, is confront him about his actions, and accept his abuse, for the sake of my integrity. In order for me to love him, I have to be honest with him. In order to love my coworkers, I have to accept the cost of honesty. In order to show the Father I put Him first, I have to have holiness come through me.

When a child learns that Santa Claus is not real, they realize that lies are a part of what love is to their parents. Parents lie to their children to protect them from hurt. This is how they express love. Then their children grow in that shadow, and the disease spreads. Our generation has even developed laws to ensure secrets are legal, and truth can get you jail time, or assassinated. Government officials, lawyers, corporations, even managers and supervisors, keep secrets in order to maintain authority. Our entire world is based on the power of lies. Darkness.

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John 8:44

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You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

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There is no reward for integrity, there is no worldly gain to be honest. Our integrity is the one pride we can silently have, because it is based on our belief that putting our love for the Father first is worth any amount of suffering we may encounter.

Easier said than done. We all are placed in circumstances where we fear loss for being honest and true. Maybe knowing that others also face this, will encourage you and I to step up and fight to keep our integrity. Pray for me, pray for us all.