A common Lie

Yesterday was a great day. Not only because it was a day that I set aside for God but because I was able to see God working in the life of a young man. It is always a privilege to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of others. To see a change start to happen, to see a person start to ask questions is the most exciting thing. In the midst of this excitement I was hit with something that I found to be a lie that many of us find ourselves believing. Many people feel that it is better to protect others by perpetuating a lie or by not sharing relevant information than to share the truth. We want to protect others from getting hurt. Guys are especially bad at this because we are fixers by nature. We don't want others to be hurt by our actions. When someone feels hurt we always ask, what can I do? So lying sometimes seems like the best way not to hurt someone. But we have to remember that it is not our job to protect others from the truth. It is required of us to be truthful. Their is a right and a wrong way to share the truth. But when done with love and humility it is the right thing to do. The lie we get sucked into is simple. "If I tell them it's going to cause them pain, or let them down, or hurt their feelings." The reality is that a lie, no matter how good our intentions are, not only hurts our relationship with the person but it also strains our relationship with God. Putting a strain on our relationship with God gives Satan a foothold in our life. Where God is not, Satan is staking a claim. Don't make the truth a thing to hide out of a concern for others. If we value our relationships with others and with God, we will always speak truth in Love and humility because we know it is the right thing to do.