Tag Archives: Lies

Pay attention

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Does the 1932 iconic photo of the RCA Building (Rockefeller Center) construction workers casually sitting atop a beam some 69 stories above the city cause you any anxiety? Whether or not it was taken as a publicity stunt, it makes me nervous just to look at them on their dangerous perch. I want to shout, “Pay attention! Be careful so you don’t fall.”

 

Actually, that is a message for you and me today. Though few of us are likely to pose for a photo atop a dangling construction beam, we remain each day a step away from believing lies that cause us to fall from our most cherished beliefs and positions.

 

What kinds of lies have you believed that have robbed you of joy, peace, and confidence?  We tend to view ourselves and others through the hazy filter of present circumstances, impressions, hearsay, and partial information. Our noisy soul tells us how miserable we are, how many times we have failed, and how hopeless things are. In reality, there is more than our present circumstances: there is the spiritual reality of who we really are, redeemed already by the Son of God, if indeed our full trust is in Him.  God sees us as righteous, forgiven, holy, His children. Yet, we continue to believe lies about our identity. We might think we are controlled by sin but Paul says we ought to reckon ourselves dead to it. That is, believe that it doesn’t control us. If God says we are not under condemnation, we ought to believe it.

 

The cleverest of lies,  we are tempted to believe we live two lives, a sacred one where we worship on Sunday, pray occasionally during the week, and a secular one where we earn a living, whisk away time with our hobbies, and live mostly for ourselves. It’s time we pay attention lest we drift from the truth that we have just one life to live while on this earth; and we are called to live (all of) it set aside for God.  We are spiritual beings with a temporary earthly body, not physical beings with some spiritual aspect.

 

What lies are you believing these days that have caused you to drift from what you know to be truth? Today’s the day to renounce those lies and the control they attempt to have on you. Keep your eyes and mind guarded by God’s Word and promises, lest you find yourself drifting away.

 

“We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1

 

 

Believing lies about others

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Have you ever believed a lie about someone else and found your relationship with that person to be strained because of it?

Maybe it was a rumor, or something shared as a prayer concern that wasn’t all that accurate. Maybe it was something you saw the person actually do, but what you saw was out of context, not really the whole truth. Maybe it was the way you interpreted the words or action of the other person, and you let that filtered impression stand as truth. Or maybe you project your own feelings about yourself into someone else, giving you a false impression of them.

It is altogether to easy to form the wrong impression of a person. Trust me, though I don’t intend it, I have been there before. I’m guessing you have experienced this too. You don’t intend to judge someone else, and yet you see them through jaded glasses. Maybe you so fear someone will behave a certain way that you interpret anything they do as confirming that belief.

There is an old Lakota Indian proverb that counsels us “Never criticize anyone unless you have walked a mile in their moccasins.” Ephesians 6:15 says to be equipped “with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” Putting on the right shoes helps us build understanding based in truth.

When we find ourselves thinking something to be true about another person, let’s presume goodness. That means that a curt reply or a hurtful word should not be too quickly taken to heart. Maybe the word was not actually meant to be hurtful, but rather it was our pride that interpreted it that way.

Let’s seek understanding as we follow God’s counsel to live in harmony and in an understanding way with one another. Be cautious in the face of a lie and quick to believe the truth, especially about others.

“I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.” Colossians 2:4

Cheating ourselves – cheating others

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What really happens when we believe lies? We allow ourselves to temporarily ‘forget’ the truth we know. We suspend the reality of truth in order to believe a make-believe lie. In the end, we betray and cheat ourselves and others, even God.

I don’t think most of us purposely betray ourselves or those we love. Do you think anyone would so brashly cuddle the love of their life while holding hands with another lover? After all, the nature of love is to be patient, kind, self-less, humble, serving, honoring of others. It is not easily angered and rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

But what happens when we suspend or forget love? We say we love this person, but our love for self-indulgence, our hobbies, “my time”, work, or good works says, “I love this more.”

God points this out repeatedly. Throughout history He commands us to have no idols. He hates idolatry, in fact so much so that He often equates it with adultery. He compares putting other things before Him to sleeping with a harlot. He says, “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8) We may justify ourselves by claiming we have no idols, no little statues that we bow down to. Yet we are quick to share Him with so much else.

We are called to be Holy as He is Holy, but if we are honest with ourselves, don’t we believe lies that our love of the world will satisfy us more than God Himself? I don’t think we often consciously choose to disobey and betray God. It seems when we are too comfortable, we live in a state of semi-slumber, half awake but also half asleep. God says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1

Just like someone who nudges you during a lecture or sermon to get you to wake up, let’s invite the Holy Spirit to nudge us throughout the day if we are found falling asleep. Let us wake up and remember our true love.