Sometimes people want to move fast around you, because if they go slow, they are forced to really be present….
—Present to their chaos, their pain, their unresolved stories, their unhealthy bodies, etc.
But I think this is part of the reason why I like to go slow.
I like to pay attention.
I like to know the truth.
I was a liar for most of my adolescent years.
Unfortunately, I can still win a game of Mafia almost every time…
But now, I feel the sting of conviction.
I feel the prick of something being off and hurtful.
Hurtful to the heart of God.
I started something new, with a new group of people.
And to my surprise it has not been what I expected.
But what in life usually is?
But you see, I go slow.
I like to pay attention.
Because sooner or later. Time will force you to go slow and pay attention and then you’ll realize you weren’t as present in all those special moments with your friends or family…moments that you can now never get back.
I’m kinda convinced that there will be 2 questions that God will ask us as Believers after we die:
1. Did you learn to love?
2. And did you learn to tell the truth?
Why is telling the truth so hard.
Why are little white lies so easy.
It’s impressive to me, how we as Believers and Jesus Lovers, can often be so bold and judgmental about everyone else’s life, and yet we still cheat on our taxes or lie at work consistently.
As if God is not able to see.
As if the little things don’t matter.
Nothing is hidden from Him.
We are naked before Him.
But to be so bold.
Dare I say…so prideful.
To think that we won’t get caught up in our lies – the crazy net that has woven itself around a certain area of our life, will begin to produce fruit. (Don’t be surprised if one certain area of your life oddly starts to unravel in a funky way with some funky fruit…leaving you with the aroma of fear…)
Sometime around high school or college, I decided I no longer wanted to live in the Gray….plus, God wasn’t really letting me at the time…
It wasn’t merely about living in the “Black and White” but rather, it was about living in God’s fully exposed Technicolor.
Living in the Grey is such a rip-off.
And there’s also a lack of freedom.
There’s constriction-- because our heart, mind and body know that something is off---cracked in the foundation, when we make lying a habit.
So push against the grain.
Tell the truth.
To yourself.
To God.
To others.
Wrestle it out.
Pray for discernment and grace.
To know when to speak — and to know when to hold your peace. A.K.A. “HUSH YO MOUTH.”
It’s only taken me 30+ years to allow the Holy Spirit to gently cover my mouth and hold me back from saying alllll kinds of things….alas, I’m not perfect….but I’m NO WHERE NEAR where I was before. #LettheChurchSayAmen
Lying is a false form of control.
Because at the end of the day.
The foundation is cracked.
And we will be found out.
Nothing is hidden from Him.
Nothinggg.
And that’s actually a GLORIOUS THING.;
God loves you so much that He doesn’t want you parading around as a false version of the human He actually intended you to be.
So if you are struggling with a habit of lying like I did – simply ask God to give you fresh boldness, love, and courage.
You’ll start slowing down a bit and actually start to feel and know the sweet conviction of the Holy Spirit— especially when you’re presented with everyday opportunities to lie. It’s a different type of exhale. The sound and feeling of our conscious being beautifully renewed by God’s incredible presence.
There’s blessings on the other side of this.
That’s what they don’t always tell you.
The fruit of the Truth is actually sustainable, and full of hope, growth, joy, perseverance, character, blessings, etc.
While the fruit of of lying is like that of the fake waxed fruit you find at garage sales. No nutrients — no way to sustain you for anything or anyone….especially not long term.
Yes, it does take courage to hear and speak the truth.
Plus, Jesus refers to Himself as the TRUTH.
When we align with lying, it’s a bit of a diss in the face of such extravagant glory and love.
And yes….I know we lie out of fear, out of our own narratives, and out of a thousand different reasons.
But let’s shed those.
Let’s step into God’s technicolor in ALL areas of our lives.
Let’s trust whole-heartedly.
That’s what we were made for.
Not this half-booty faith….
Not “Casual Christianity”….
But a wild adventure with God the creator of the entire universe.
Isn’t it amazing that something as “Intangible” as belief is what Jesus asks us to do in order to have relationship with God through Him and eternal life. I mean, I get it. It sounds CRAY. But it’s still all true.
So no wonder why something as “Intangible” as lying has more of an effect than what we might’ve previously imagined….
So what will you choose today…?
The everyday Gray….or the ever expansive technicolor of God in all areas of your life?...
Wisdom’s Knocking:
“I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that God, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
— Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (The Message Translation)