One of the first things God convicted me of when I (Kay) was a brand new Christian (35 years ago) was lying. I remember a specific time my mom asked about a piece of antique china she has given me. She was visiting and did not see it and wondered where it was. I had given it to a friend for her birthday and lied about that thinking my mom might be upset.
“It broke,” I told her, “I was so sad, I loved that piece.” Immediately I felt God’s spirit gently calling me to correct my lie and tell the truth. I fought the urging and my mom went home. Three days later, I finally gave in to God’s gentle nudges and called her and owned up to being dishonest. It was embarrassing but I felt free. Little did I realize as a new Christian why the truth was so important to God and why the Holy Spirits tugging at my soul was so persistent until I responded.
Now I have a clearer perspective. The bible teaches that God’s word is truth and the truth sets us free. In contrast, we have an enemy, Satan, who “…does not stand on truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie he speaks from his own nature for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) We also learn from John 10:10 that Satan is a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Powerful words to describe Satan; enemy, liar, thief, murderer whose intent and purpose is to destroy. Wow, that’s sobering and not a team I want to be on.
God focused on my growth, as a brand new Christian, around the importance of telling the truth. He wants our words to be truthful like His. He is the author of truth and I am His child. To lie is to be under the influence and power of Satan a master deceiver who mixes truth with lies so it’s more believable.
As I grew as a Christian I found out it wasn’t just about telling the truth as important as that is. It is also about believing the truth. Over time, God has revealed lies in my belief system. These exposures often come as a surprise as we discover things we believe and hold dear are actually lies holding us captive. In fact, each of the loves styles has a belief system that contains lies. They are subtle lies that we may not even recognize as deceptive and false. For the next month, we are going to look at each love style and the belief system that include lies that block us from loving and being loved the way God desires.
When we recognize a lie and can replace it with the truth it’s like taking a hidden weapon out of Satan’s hands. The truth moves us toward the abundant life Jesus wants us to have. Love is what makes our lives rich and full. Even in dark times, love and comfort are a solace. The central focal point of the abundant life is learning to love God with all our heart soul and mind, and to love one another; our spouse, child, friend, pastor, neighbor or even an adversary. Next week we will start with the Avoider. What lies do they hold dear? What subtle deceptions does the enemy promote to keep them under His influence?
