Stop the Lying

Proverbs 8:12-21

In elementary school Friday was show ‘n tell day. Everyone loved it. On a few occasions I got caught up in the spirit of the moment in unfortunate ways. One time I had nothing to offer so I did my impersonation of the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. Oh, it was good. 

On another occasion I told the class that my dog had puppies and I described them in great detail. The only problem was my dog was a male and there were no puppies. Yes, I lied. I probably would have gotten away with the great puppy caper had the neighbor girl not stopped over to see the puppies. Busted!

Here's the news flash for this week. People lie. Some people lie as a way of life. Years ago, Jon Lovitz created a character called the liar guy. He simply made up his version of the truth as he went along. It was quite funny. Sadly, the liar guy has gone from a funny bit on the Johnny Carson show to standard operating procedure for many of our nation’s leaders and media today. 

This isn’t new. Most are familiar with the famous story of George Washington chopping down his father’s cherry tree. When confronted by his father, little George said bravely, I cannot tell a lie…I did cut it with my hatchet. 

The irony is that the purpose of the story was to teach honesty yet the story itself was fabricated. It appeared in an early biography of the first president entitled The Life of Washington (1800). Worse yet, it was written by Parson Mason Weems. So, you have a story that’s not true, written by a clergyman, to teach honesty to others. 

But of course, the story goes back even further to Genesis 3 when the serpent lied to Adam and Eve. As a matter of fact, Jesus identified the enemy as not only a liar but the father of lies. Since the father of lies is also the god of this age, it’s not surprising that we have a truth problem in the world.

This is not okay. Human flourishing cannot exist where truth is devalued. What’s so concerning these days is how accepted lying has become. It’s just a way of life. The truth seems irrelevant to people. I think it’s fair to say people are far more passionate about advancing their agenda than telling the truth.

Lady wisdom hates that. I, wisdom, dwell with prudence and I find knowledge and discretion. The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate. The perverted mouth is literally a lying tongue. She hates it. Why? Because it destroys shalom. 

Remember, skillful living is about living well with others. Proverbs is the roadmap to flourishing together as a community. Whether that community is a family, a neighborhood, a workplace, a church, a city, or a nation, it can’t really function together unless we tell the truth.

Lady wisdom goes on to say, by me kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly. I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me. Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, and my yield better than choicest silver. I walk in the way of righteousness, in the midst of paths of justice, to endow those who love me with wealth, that I may fill their treasuries. 

Isn’t that what we all want? Doesn’t that describe the type of communities we long for? A place with true justice and righteousness. A place where everyone prospers. Don’t we long for leaders who speak truth and judge rightly for the flourishing of all?

So how do we get there? We passionately seek after lady wisdom. She says I love those who love me; and those who diligently seek me will find me. Lady wisdom does not want to be treated as the latest self-help book or information you need to learn to pass the exam. She wants to be passionately pursued and embraced like a lover. To love her is to love justice and righteousness; it’s to hate evil and a lying tongue. To love her is to love truth.

So, what can we do? It’s easy to get caught up in a culture of lies. Like Parson Weems we may have good intentions but telling lies to advance righteousness will never work. The truth has to matter. Start with yourself. To love lady wisdom is to hate the lies. Make sure you tell the truth, always, to everyone. No exceptions. 

Secondly, lies cannot be acceptable, even if those lies that advance your cause. Misrepresenting the truth is lying. Politicians that lie should not get a pass. They should not be supported. Media outlets that lie should be turned off. We must stand for truth. Lies do great violence to shalom.

None of us can change the culture by ourselves. However, we can change the environments around us for good. We can create little pockets of flourishing wherever God has placed us. If you really pay attention, you may be surprised at how much lying has become a way of life for people. Either direct lies or advancing or accepting lies from others. Often untruths are winked at and passed along if they advance a cause we believe in. We can’t be part of that. Flourishing requires we stand for truth. 

Let’s start with you. What would it look like for you to stand for truth this week? How can you make a difference in the places where God has placed you? Embrace lady wisdom like a lover and take her everywhere you go this week. You might be surprised by what happens.