(Prov 25:18 GNB) A false accusation is as deadly as a sword, a club, or a sharp arrow.
This morning we get back to our series entitled, “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” Solomon hated liars. Time and time again he tells us not to lie, especially not about others. I believe he spoke against it because God hates lies. Why does our heavenly Father hate lying so much? I believe it is because satan the “father of lying” (John 8:44); lying is satan’s native tongue. When you lie you speaking satan’s language. Listen:
1. Lying is bad enough: People whose words (audio) don’t match their actions (video) are people of flawed character. If you can learn to control your tongue then you will literally learn to control your life, because what comes out of your tongue is an outward representation of what is going on inside of you. Let me explain. There are three parts of you. You are a spirit, you possess a soul, and you live in a body. If your spirit desires one thing, but your soul another, and yet your body is pulling you in a third direction, then you are not fully “integrated.” This inward struggle will eventually lead to a conflict and hence, a violation of your integrity. Believers who lie are people who are losing the battle on the inside.
2. Lying about someone else is worse: There are three main categories of faults: Iniquity (inward), transgression (outward), and sin (upward). When you falsely accuse someone you commit all three. You are sinning (upward) against God, committing a transgression (outward) against man, and it is all because of your inward flaws. This boils down to slander. The definition of slander is: a defamation of character; a malicious, false, and derogatory statement or report about someone else; an attempt to defame someone’s good name. God hates this, because it shows that you clearly don’t value the life of the other person. If all my years of walking with Christ have taught me anything they have taught me that 1) there is a God, and 2) I am not Him! Since you and I are not God, we don’t know what plans, purposes, or destiny He has designed for others. When we speak lies against another we may be coming up against God’s purpose for their lives. In other words, by attacking them, we could be being used as a pawn in satan’s attempt to derail them from their destiny. As our verse tells us today, a lie can be as deadly as a sword, a club, or a sharp arrow. The Father does not want us to cause damage. He is looking for us to build up, not tear down.
3. When you lie you devalue your words: One of the worst reputations you can get in life is that of being a liar. Once people consider you a liar you reputation is destroyed, no one will give credit or credence to what you have to say, and no value will be placed on your words. But when you speak the truth – when you say what you mean and you mean what you say – your word becomes your bond and your words develop and retain their value. When you are committed to speaking the truth your words will mean something to others because they mean something to you!
So what does this mean to you today? Paul said it best when he said, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Eph 4:29). Your words can either minister grace or destruction. Which will you choose?
Closing Confession: Father, I speak the truth in love. Even when I don’t like the things that others do, I refuse to use my lips as a weapon against them. I refrain from speaking any form evil against others and I never lie! No corrupt communication proceeds from out of my mouth, but only that which is good, that it may minister grace, peace, and love to the hearers. If I can’t honestly say good things about someone, I will refrain from saying anything at all. I keep my tongue and I rule my life. Father, I don’t know what You are doing in the lives of others, I refuse to come up against You and Your purpose for them, and I refuse to be used as a pawn by satan in his attempts to derail others from their destiny. My words matter to me, so they will also matter to others. I declare this by faith! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
