Speaking the truth liberates

Nowadays people are being very economic with the truth but very generous with lies, deceit, treachery and falsehood. Though it is very convenient and helps to save our face, lying is a sin that carries the same judgment with murder, sorcery and idolatry.
Liars, idolaters, sorcerers and murderers, among others, will all be condemned to the lake which burns with fire and brimstone in the second death (Rev. 21:8). The opening scripture commands us to put away lying and to speak truth with our neighbours. If we are urged to put away lying, then it means we have the power to do it. God will not ask us to do what we cannot. Yes, we can stop lying and start telling the truth.
Let us explore the reasons why people lie. Fear of loss is at the top. People do not want to lose the confidence of other people so they lie to cover up for their weaknesses and failures. Non-virgins lie for fear of losing prospective mates. Business people lie to their clients so they can keep them. Even we pastors may lie about our inspiration, power and revelation knowledge so as to keep our members near us. We can promise members many things that God will do for them in the near future without divine backing.
Fear of man is another reason why people lie. You fear negative responses and punishment for wrongdoing so you lie. In this case lying is a means of self-justification. You did wrong but you do not want your image to be tarnished, so you lie to keep your character good in the eyes of people.
It is not a surprise to hear a boss instructing his personal assistant to tell callers that he is not in office when in actual fact he is in the whole day. The boss is lying, and instead of doing it alone he commands his juniors to propagate his lies. This is an abuse of authority, I think. It brings emotional torture to the juniors who have to tell lies against their own will. But why do bosses lie? The main reason is fear as cited above but their circumstances may be different. The other major reason is busyness; real or fabricated.
Let us say a boss is being called by a creditor who is pursuing payment but the company has cash flow problems. What is the right response? Should he tell lies or just say the truth? Lying is most appealing but will not solve anything in the long run but rather complicates the problem. Truth will liberate you.
 Every sane person will understand if he or she is told the truth. They may get angry but they will heal. You may instruct your junior to say something like, “We acknowledge our indebtedness to you.
We are facing financial challenges at the moment but as soon as we get the money we will prioritise you.” Or “We do not have enough money now to settle our bill but we ask for your understanding and patience as we propose to pay in a piecemeal fashion.”
Any creditor will understand when acknowledgement of debt is made and commitment to settle the debt is made. Keeping the promise becomes very acute here. When you are sincerely told the truth, you somehow know it in your spirit.
The general public is guilty of lying to neighbours especially through the use of cell phones. You are walking along First Street in the city of Harare and you hear a passer-by telling a caller that he is in Norton at that moment. It used to shock me but now it is a commonplace thing. You can also hear someone say that she will be at the meeting place in town in five minutes, yet she is in Chitungwiza. I once asked someone why she was lying. She said that she did not want to disappoint them. She did not want them to go away and not wait for her. Well the reasons could be many but I think it is better to tell the truth so they can make good use of their time in the interim period. After all, if an accident occurs, your lies will be exposed.
The biblical perspective on lies is that it is a sin punishable by a second death. No matter how genuine our reasons for lying, we must see it for what it is – an abomination to God.
Lies, deceit, treachery, and falsehood break many relationships but speaking the truth brings freedom and it honours God.

– Contact Pastor Mairos on 0772889766 or e-mail: mairos78@yahoo.co.uk