Self-Devastation

Do you remember the first time you lied and you got away with it?

Do you remember when you were finally convinced that lying just wasn’t worth it?

I do not know whether either of these questions apply to you. However, it is likely that you know someone that lies and seems to get away with it. No conscience. Lying is simply a part of life.

I worked with a man who, just a few days before retirement, advised a young coworker, “Never admit that you are wrong; never admit a mistake.” (Translation: Lie to cover your mistakes.)

What the older man did not realize is that everyone already knew. He could not hide all his mistakes, so everyone knew that he lied. He had no conscience and no integrity. No one really cared that he retired (except, perhaps, his wife).

How foolish we are to think that we will really get away with our lies.

     A false witness will not go unpunished, 
     And he who tells lies will not escape.
     --Proverbs 19:5

We have a number of words in the English language to describe lying. It does not matter what word is used; it does not matter how subtle the lie or how minor its impact. A lie is a lie.

I wonder if the most devastating lie is the one we tell ourselves...that it really does not matter!