The 9^th Commandment

You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

How much is lying worth to you?

I think about this when thinking about Judas and what he did to our Lord and Savior.

For him, it was worth thirty pieces of silver.

With that money, he bought a piece of land where he hung himself.  This “Field of Blood” was bought with blood money and marred with the blood of the one who gave false testimony not only against his neighbor but also against the Son of God.

Thirty pieces of silver. Was it worth it?

I think (or at least hope) we would all shout a resounding “No!” to that question.

Is lying ever really worth it?

We probably all have experience personally or with others in our lives who have clung to a lie to the point that it completely unravels them, practically on a soul-level.

Keeping up with made-up intricacies of a fictional storyline to save face or cover our shame only ever ends up in hurting ourselves and/or others that much more.

Why waste our time avoiding the truth instead of praying for God to give us the courage to live our lives honestly?

Perhaps, we often fail to do this because we think God won’t forgive us. But if He not only forgave Paul who persecuted His children and then used him to spread the Gospel to the gentiles, why wouldn't He forgive us?

Paul is no better than you or me. The only thing that sets him apart from some sinners, is that he submitted to God and accepted His free gift of salvation.

So, if we know that lying only ends up further darkening our hearts and that God’s precious light will cleanse us thoroughly, why not confess the lies we told and the compulsion to tell them, trusting that God will lead the way out of this temptation in His perfectly gentle way?

Search me, God, and know my heart.

Do you ever feel compelled to lie? Has lying ever actually benefitted you? God knows everything, even the things we attempt to store deep in our hearts. Practice submission and obedience by bringing past lies you’ve told to the Father’s feet and ask for forgiveness. Pray that He will instill in you the courageous heart necessary to stop lying and live a life of honesty and integrity.