Proverbs 12:19
Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Lying is exhausting because a lie has such a short lifespan. Sure, the damages of it can last a lifetime but the lie itself is so temporary and paper thin. You have to constantly nourish it and grow it and feed it and protect it and guard it against prying eyes.
The truth on the other hand requires no maintenance.
You don’t have to elaborate it. It’s the truth.
You don’t have to embellish it. It’s the truth.
You don’t have to come back and check on it again and again and again to make sure it’s doing alright. It’s the truth.
It’s a lot easier to maintain and endures forever. Which is one more reason we should all tell it.
Have you ever lied because you thought it would be easier and found out it’s really an exhausting alternative to telling the truth?
Thursday, February 19, 2009
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6 comments:
Yes, I have definitely experienced the exhausting lie. Very difficult, very painful.
I am grateful for this proverb, Jon. It's the perfect take on it: the endurance of the maintenance-free truth, as well as the constant propping-up needed by untruth. [Hey, there's a good euphemism for a lie! "Untruth." Maybe it's not sin, after all.....it's just semi-sin; it's not actually a lie, it's just an "untruth"!]
This post also makes me think about all the ministers who water down the gospel, in order to make it more "palatable" and to "reach people." Ministers who deny the truth. Who deny that Jesus is the one and only way to the Father.
People like poor Joel Osteen ---consider how much he has to backtrack, and correct and apologize and explain and revisit. (I'm thinking particularly after the disastrous Larry King thing) If he'd just stick with the true gospel, his ministry would have real power and meaning.
Jon, I must say, I really like this series you're doing. You've got lots of great stuff to say... keep on preachin', bro!
Disclaimer: LAN back on.
This is from the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
“I do not tell lies. Mother used to say that this was because I was a good person. But it is not because I am a good person. It is because I can’t tell lies.
A lie is when you say something happened which didn’t happen. But there is only ever one thing which happened at a particular time and a particular place. And there are an infinite number of things which didn’t happen at that time and that place. And if I think about something which didn’t happen I start thinking about all the other things which didn’t happen.”
– 15 year old autistic child in the book.
When I read this last night, I thought, well I totally don't get what this is talking about. I thought about resorting to reading it in the Message but 97 seconds proved to be ther better choice. Thanks!
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