Small, Big or White ‘LIES’

Last week, 8 of us adults, sat around a table and shared how we had lied in the last few days (what a discussion, did you not have anything better to talk about?)! I began by sharing two lies:

My Mom called me a few days back and said that she would share with me a prayer that was really special to her. After our call, she sent me the prayer and 5 minutes later called me back to ask if I had read it. “Oh yes I did” was my instant reply and when she commented that it really is a meaningful prayer, I carried on in my usual tone “yes, it truly is meaningful”.

All the while, as I lied, I was telling myself that I would immediately after the call listen to the prayer, which I did.

My second example happened in office:

I was needed to get to the office to sign a Telegraphic Transfer for a payment to a supplier. I had promised that I would get in on Friday but as I was busy with a few other appointments and I decided not to go into the office. I was then informed that they had made a promise to the supplier that the payment would be made on Friday and I instantly responded “You can tell them that the documentation was all done and sent to the bank for processing”, knowing that I was not signing the document.

I was aware that I was setting a bad example and after a few minutes responded back “Sorry, its not being truthful to say this to the supplier. I will find a way to have the document signed. Do not worry about it, its my responsibility to sign it for you, I will do it. I will make sure you can keep your promise”.

Back to our gathering, the rest of us all shared ‘lies’, it was a humbling experience because, even for me to share it was very hard, I was ashamed of my actions, especially when I verbalize it. We then asked ourselves why would we want to lie? We concluded:

• It was to promote ourselves
• Protect ourselves and our interests
• Impress others, prove our points
• Manage our ‘pride’

An interesting learning was that the opposite of a ‘lie’ was ‘truth’, and we clearly understood that the ‘father of lies‘ is clearly the evil one and, the ‘truth that sets us free‘ is the word of God!

We are called to and, it is a requirement that, we live the right standards. We might categorize our lies into different segments but, the fact remains that a ‘lie is a lie’ and this is sinful. We further discussed on how we can make a personal effort to avoid this sinful nature in us?

1. Our Personal Life: We are called to walk with integrity, speak the truth at all times, remain this way and ‘do not change‘!
2. Our Family Life: If we say we will do it, then we are required to do it. We have to support each other and our spouses and remind each other that we have an audience at home watching us – our children, our extended family and friends, our house help.
3. Our Business Life: We need to build trust through integrity. We want to win our customers for the long term. Our word is our bond.
4. Our Church Life: We mingle with a ‘spiritual’ family and hence we do not want to ‘upset’ anyone! We are good at making all kind of promises and never keep them, we get away with a ‘smile’, if someone says something that is not correct, we just let it past with our usual ‘smile’! But, we are forgetting that we are called to ‘speak the truth in love‘, ‘even if it hurts‘.
5. Our Relationship With Our God: We must be truthful to our God, we need to honestly talk to Him and tell Him our wrongs truthfully.

Wikipedia clearly summarizes what a ‘lie‘ is but the contents of the page is rather interesting from a worldly context. It defines 28 types of lies! The good news for many of us is that we just need to keep it simple, a ‘lie is a lie‘ and we have to be truthful to our selves!