A couple weeks ago, I received a message from my old boss asking had I seen some meeting minutes I had taken during a meeting three months ago. Another meeting was coming up. Those minutes were needed to correspond with events that happened and/or had taken place during that time. The back story of this is that I had since moved from that position into another department. Upon my departure, I had gotten rid of a lot of unnecessary paperwork while I was in transition. So when he reached out to ask me had I seen those documents, “I immediately told him that I did not recall being in the meeting. There were quite a few things that were transpiring during that time and that the last minutes I had taken were from February.”

Truth be told, I knew I was in that meeting and didn’t take those notes but was afraid I had actually thrown them out with everything else that was getting trashed that week. So without telling him the “whole” truth and avoiding getting called a “lacker.” I felt like it was best to have a jogged memory to clear myself of being called “irresponsible.” At that time, I felt like a LIE was more valuable in telling him than the actual TRUTH…

The dictionary states that a lie is:

“A false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth; a falsehood, something intended or serving to convey a false impression.”

How many times in life do we forsake telling just to cover up the “whole” truth? There is no white lie, little lie, a small lie, or tiny lie – It’s just a LIE, an untruth. If told, a lie can start out like a seed. Its start is small until you begin to nurture, feed, and water it. If you don’t do those things, then it will never grow. However, once you start feeding, nurturing, and watering it with other lies – that small seed becomes bigger and bigger. It begins to create branches and those branches each have limbs of their own. A lie has a way of making you feel like you did the right thing, but in actuality, it’s that “small” thing that can keep many of us out of God’s graces.

The bible states in Proverbs 6:16-17, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven are an abomination to him – haughty eyes, a lying tongue…

It also states in Revelation 21:8 – “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore-mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Okay, so I didn’t mean to get all deep on you, but it’s right there in the word – ALL LIARS – that would include ME!)

As you can see, the bible didn’t say specifically, “Well, the white lies” are okay, but the BIG lies are an abomination. He said ALL LIARS, which means whether a lie is big or small in your mind….All liars will not be judged but headed to a pit of damnation. Now I know you don’t want that. I don’t want it for you or me.

Once I came to myself after feeling truly condemned about what I told my former boss. I asked the Lord for forgiveness and emailed them back to confess that I was indeed at the meeting. In my moving process, I had either misplaced them, or they must have been thrown away with other items. I began to tell him that I would come over and look for them; I did go to the department, and with the Lord’s help, I was able to put my hands right on them; I typed them out and made sure that he received them the same day. A lie is so easy to get into but can be so hard to correct due to our own pride and just cause reasons.

The next time you find yourself about to tell a LIE, even a small one. If you are sincerely trying to live for Christ and have a heart set after him, tell the truth at all cost. While the flesh is continuously pulling and tugging on us daily to fall into its desires, lusts, and entanglements of life. Walking in the spirit will compel you to tell the truth regardless of how it will make you look in the long run.

Getting cast out of God’s presence forever because of something so small is a hurt that you will never be able to erase. If we strive to walk after the spirit daily. We can become resistant to the flesh and continue to live the life that God intends for us to live, which is Holy, not to say that we won’t get tempted. Still, if we continue to walk in the spirit, we won’t be so eager to tell a LIE.