Wiser and Happier: Devotions From Time of GraceNäide

Personal Integrity: Tell the truth “In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” You know who said that? I bet you think it was Hitler or Goebbels. Actually, it was Winston Churchill. Not that human beings need much urging or rationale for lying, even from Churchill. We were all born children of Satan, and Satan’s native language is lying. Jesus called him the “Father of lies, a liar from the beginning.” Truth telling is learned behavior, and it’s hard. From young on, children learn how easy it can be to evade responsibility, divert blame, cause trouble for others, and get things through lies. Lying poisons our minds, and persistent lying leaves us so confused that we no longer can recognize the truth. “The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:22). Lord, anoint my lips today. Let me choose to speak the truth, and let me bite back a lie, even when it costs me something.