How to Self-Destruct

Have you ever told a lie and gotten away with it?

In other words, you lied and no one noticed, no one figured it out.

Whatever you might call it—white lie, fib, fabrication, farce, fairy tale, faulty fact, stretching the truth, half-truth, deception, loop-hole—it is a lie.

When caught in a lie, some people admit that the lie was a lie but try to justify the lie, that is, they try to explain how the lie was a good thing; they make lying out to be the correct behavior. Other people admit their lie but try to rationalize it by explaining how it was necessary; it was wrong, but there was no other way. (Still others simply refuse to admit their lie.)

Why do we (humans) attempt to justify and rationalize lying?

The reason is twofold but simple: We intuitively understanding that lying is wrong and we wish to avoid guilt. At the same time, we do not want to be branded as a liar and lose respect and trust. So, when we lie and begin to sense guilt, the mind then attempts to protect itself with justifications and rationalizations. Both soothe the conscience in to thinking that ‘I’ should not be held responsible for the lie.

You might have seen the conscience illustrated as a person with an angel figure on one shoulder and a devil figure on the opposite shoulder. Each whispers into the closest ear trying to influence a choice, good vs evil. There might be some truth to that illustration, and yet, often the battle is within. The evil desires of the body wish to take control. The human spirit (emotion, intellect, human will) desires control. Worldly desires within try to influence the soul when the soul has placed a value on truth. The conscience stands as judge to make a moral evaluation and render a verdict.

Whether the lie was motivated because of making an embarrassing mistake, failure in accomplishing a task, fear of consequences, or something else, the lie is destructive. That is because there is no such thing as ‘my truth’ and ‘your truth.’ Truth is absolute. Truth is that which exists. Truth is reality. Truth is not dependent on ‘me’ discovering it or learning it. Truth exists with or without ‘you’ and with or without ‘me.’ So, a lie does not change the truth but masks over truth so that reality is hidden.

A lie is meant to present falsehood as reality. When that is done it changes the perception of those around us. Because of the lie that is presented, they believe something that is not true. We all make choices and take action based on our perceptions of truth. So, a lie told may change the perceptions of people so that their actions are based on a deception. And remember, although Eve was deceived by the serpent, she was still held accountable for her actions. Reality DID NOT change.

So, whenever you tell a lie, you should not think that your lie affects only you. Your are selfishly influencing those around you to accept your deception as truth. And the way you influence them may be detrimental to them.

Perhaps even more devastating than the harm a lie does to others is the lie that you tell yourself...that it really does not matter. That’s how you destroy yourself. Through the writing of the wise King Solomon God revealed...

A false witness will not go unpunished,

And he who tells lies will not escape.

—Proverbs 19:5

God is very serious about lying. God is very serious about truth. For the sake of your soul and for the sake of others...always tell the truth.

Mark Stinnett

August 30, 2026

Bond-Servant: Jesus

We like to talk about all that God has done for us. We like to talk about our salvation and all that Christ has done for us. We love to explore the parables of Jesus. (For many, the parables are like mini-mysteries where the different characters and events provide clues to a hidden message.) Many of the parables feature characters with a master-slave relationship.

We are happy to discuss all the way that Jesus served. We love the verse that tells us that “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

We are happy to see the humble lives of the apostles after the death of Jesus, men who gave their lives to the cause of Christ, men who referred to themselves as bond-servants of Christ.

In fact, most of us who wear the name of Christ are quite happy to serve. We are mostly happy to be a servant, but we are hesitant to go to the extent of service to be a bond-servant.

In a sense, you are a servant to your boss. We might be uncomfortable with that terminology, but it is accurate. There is a fair exchange of work for pay (presumably), but you follow the orders of your boss. He is your master at work and you are the servant. However, you stop at the end of your shift or work day. You have your private life...YOUR life.

The bond-servant gave up his will and made the master’s will his own. It is more than, “Your wish is my command.” It is, “Your desire is my own desire.” If someone were to ask the bond-servant, “What do you want in life?” or “What are your personal goals?” The answer would come without hesitation, “My desire is to do my master’s will. My life is completely devoted to my master.”

Do you understand that the issues of our day are related to the human will? All the identity confusion is people asserting their will on others to the point that they wish to govern the language and how you use it by forcing their perception of reality on others. Feminism is about the human will. The fighting among our political parties is a struggle of the human will. Crime is most often the assertion of the human will to obtain something, whether justice or possessions. Anger is the human will boldly expressing its dissatisfaction with the current circumstances. And the list goes on….

The human will is a part of the human spirit. When the soul allows the human will to assert itself and control the person, then that person becomes the center of their universe: “MY will be done!” The only possible result is conflict with others who also live by the same, “MY will be done!”

Jesus felt the struggle of the human will the night before He was crucified. He asked God to “remove this cup from Me.” In other words, His human will wished to avoid the crucifixion. Yet, He immediately followed, “yet not My will, but Yours be done.” He walked the path to the cross: Bond-servant.

“MY will be done” embraces...

     Eve, 

          Cain, 

               Sodom & Gomorrah, 

                    Korah, Dathan & Abiram, 

                         Nadab & Abihu, 

                              Deliliah, 

                                   Goliath, 

                                        Jezebel, 

                                             Judas, and so on.

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. 

--Philippians 2:5-8

You say you want to be like Jesus. 

It’s all about the will….

Mark Stinnett

August 2, 2026