Lying in America is at epidemic proportions. According to a survey in US Today, 91% of Americans lie regularly in one way or another. Just ask yourself. Have you lied this week? What would you do if you scraped the side of a car parked near you as you pulled out? One story that was shared online was about a man who scaped a nice expensive car in a busy area where others saw it. The guilty party got out of the car and wrote a note that was attached to the car and drove off. It read, “I am sorry I hit your car. A number of people around me think I’m leaving you a note that includes my name, address, and phone number, but I’m not.”
Lying is so prevalent, but we need to be sure we have a proper definition of lying to identify it in our lives. That’s the real kicker. Most are more aware of the lies that they hear and pride themselves in catching people in lies, some of which are not lies at all. If they took the same effort and energy in examining their own lives instead of others, they would have to admit that they are, themselves, liars. Christians should not practice this way of life, even though it is prevalent among them, also. There is greater incentive and the reason offered by Paul to speak the truth is because we are members of one another.
But, there are problems identifying lies if we have different definitions of it. The word translated lying is the word pseudos which we see in English compound words that mean false. However, if you think that’s all that is involved, just be willing to consistently apply it. You will find that everyone lies. Such a broad definition allows for a number of distinctions that not all would accept. For instance, what if the person was uninformed or repeated a report from others? What if they fail to tell the “whole truth”? Again, what if the person intends to do something and had the intention of carrying out the plan, but changes their mind the following day? I have had people tell me a story but their timing, and days involved in the story were crossed up. They didn’t do what they said they did on the day they said they did it. The information was false.
I recently went to see a family member for a visit that was planned and carefully worked out for months. The animals were provided with a dog sitter, replacements were found for work, etc., and a text was placed to prepare the family member that we were coming toward the end of a particular week, and details of arrival would be given when the time was nearer. The week of the visit began with a call to touch base with the family that we were coming. “O, it’s this week?”, was the response. “This week we have plans and we will be out of town”. I’m thinking that I can’t change the plans at this stage and the family member tells me that they will work out something. We decided that we would go even though there was some miscommunication and perhaps inconvenience for them. We would be staying in a motel and would take in a show at Branson that was taking place that week. If family can get away from work and other schedules, we would see them and if not, we would go to the shows (Not a complete loss). So, tickets were bought. Family came through and made every effort to be available though there was no discussion about taking off work or what was done to accommodate us while we were there. It appeared as if there was no conflict and they had made whatever sacrifice for us. We visited the first night and following day and it was my understanding that we would return, though my wife had bought tickets for the next days. I had told them that we would be going home in the morning, but when morning came, we decided to stay for the show. Does the fact that we changed our minds and stayed one more day mean that we lied. Should we have called to tell them and inconvenience them even more after telling them we were leaving? Needless to say, all kinds of accusations were thrown at us and communication went from bad to worse. Can a person change their mind about their plans?
One blogger detailed how he had traveled to India with two purposes in mind, one as a missionary and one as a tourist to learn about Indian culture. On his Visa application, he was asked about his purpose for going and the mission leader told him to write, “tourist” because if he put down “Mission trip” the application would be rejected. as my purpose, most likely, my Visa application would get rejected. So instead, I put down “Tourist.” Did he lie?
We could offer story after story like this but one more would suffice to illustrate the point. This time we know the answer about whether the person lied because it is Jesus. In John 7, we have recorded where His brothers, who were unbelievers, advised Him to go to the feast in Jerusalem to show Himself to the world. Jesus said to them, “You go up to the feast. I am not going up to this feast, for my time has not fully come.” Verse ten explains that after his brothers went, he also went up, not publically but in private. We know that Jesus did not lie, but if not, how can we reconcile his words to be anything else? These are all questions that must be answered when we discuss the definition of a lie.
The internet is full of articles teaching us how to detect lies or catch someone in a lie. It represents so much of the way people think that it’s scary to imagine how people are listening to our words. Lying includes the intent to deceive. Some reasons for that intention are more acceptable and tolerable among human beings and there may be a blog later to illustrate circumstances that allowed deception, such as wartime. Walk cautiously, here. First, be careful that we are not thinking evil of others and putting the worst construction on their words instead of giving them the benefit of the doubt. They may have just said the wrong date or time, meaning something else. They may have been misinformed. Not only should we be cautious about too hasty of a judgment against others, but be cautious that with what judgment we judge, it will be measured upon us to the same degree (Matthew 7:1-5). The truth is that all of us have sinned. In fact, all of us have lied. There’s not one good, no not one.” And, if we have come to know a person and his or her compulsion to lie, approach with meekness and gentleness, considering yourself lest you be tempted (Gal. 6:1). Second, if lying is the intent to deceive, which precipitates the fruit of falsehood, then, you and I would have no know the intent of their heart to accuse them of it. Surely, you would not want to go on record to say that you know their heart, for to do so is to claim to be God. Such arrogance is outside the veil of rational thinking!