10 Pillars : Building a Life in Godናሙና

Falsehood, Lies, or false testimony.

Lies are present in our life, like domestic animals or other family members, and their presence is palpable! Lies seem to have become indispensable! This is unthinkable, but almost everyone uses lies daily, and this has become an acceptable common practice and even 'necessary' in some cases!

We are Christians, and God strictly forbids lying. Moreover, Jesus tells us in the Gospel of John that all those who lie or use falsehood" have "for father the devil, and you want to fulfil your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and he does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he utters lies, he speaks of his funds; for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44)

This warning is essential and requires us to react. Yes, it's an actual warning! The natural source of lies is its father, the devil, as Jesus says.

Lying is like breathing for some people. Hence the adage often used, 'he lies as he breathes'. The world, or those who have not yet known Christ, is excusable because they do not see it as wrong. However, here, our primary audience is, of course, those who believe in God, those who confess that Jesus is their Saviour and Lord.

Let us, for some minutes, intentionally point our index to ourselves. Yes! I emphasized the 'we'! We who confess to be Christians.

Do we weigh the purity and integrity of our words?

If we are sincere and choose not to lie to each other, we will have to admit that it is an embarrassing subject, a theme that we would prefer to see as reality in other people's lives but not through the mirror's reflection.

Have we become so cowardly that we do not want to confront lies?

It's sad that lies have also become a weapon of defence or used to avoid disappointment or deceiving others. We lie to those who are important to us because we do not want to hurt them!

But how can we imagine building a relationship of trust with lies or based on lies?

Do not let lies dominate us, and do not have any use for lies for whatever reasons.

It must be understood that the opposite of lies is the truth! Jesus is the way, the life and the truth! So, if we are false, we are not in fact, and the truth is not in us!

We must always desire the help of the Holy Spirit, who allows us to remain in the truth. The denial of reality leads Christians to live an existence where God resides in a box that we open in the situations and moments of our lives that suit us. Remember, lies make us captive, while the truth sets us free (John 8:32).

Let us make sure that this pillar is part of our building!