A Poll of Lies by David Jeremiah

Thursday, July 20

A Poll of Lies 

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 
Ephesians 4:25 

Recommended Reading Ephesians 4:25-32

What many Americans most remember about the Rio Olympics is the scandal created by swimmer Ryan Lochte and his friends when they lied about getting robbed. That one falsehood cost Lochte his major sponsors, his prime endorsements, millions of dollars of income, and his good name. But Lochte isn’t the first to swim in a pool of lies. Because of our sinful nature, lying comes to us as naturally as talking. When faced with damaging or embarrassing situations, we somehow try to invent lies on the spot; then we fabricate more lies to sustain the original ones. Before long, we’re in the deep end of the pool of deception.

The best way to prevent lies is to live above reproach and avoid doing anything about which we’ll be tempted to lie. If we don’t misbehave in the first place, we have less reason to want to lie. But even if we do find ourselves in a situation tempting us to lie, we must not do it. The Bible commands us to speak truthfully to our neighbors—which includes our husband or wife—and to live by a simple maxim: Jesus-followers are truth-tellers.

A lie is like a snowball; the further you roll it the bigger it becomes.
Martin Luther