Own it

During my stint of a few years at boarding school it was common practice to make application for leave to go to things like appointments, extra activities, sports practices and the like.
The process was that at lunchtime you completed a form and then after school you looked on a special board to see if your application got accepted.
Lots of my fellow students would lie and put fake details down just so they could try and meet a girl in the local park. Invariably they would get caught. Get in trouble. Found it harder to get leave later.

In the course of time I too wanted to meet a young lady in the local park.
Instead of making up a story and risk getting caught out, I thought why not just be honest, stipulate on the form what I was really going to do, and see what happens. The worst they could say was no.
To my surprise when I checked the leave board later in the day my leave was accepted.

This was a practice I used for nearly a year.
Every time I was just honest.
And every time I got my leave accepted.
It used to drive the other guys crazy because they were always getting turned down.
Eventually I asked the Boarding Manager why I was always given leave. His answer was "you are the only one who told the truth so I accepted your applications".

Lately I have had some interactions with people that have left me a little cold. Some people have lied to my face recently.
While the truth would be potentially difficult for either of us, it would have been so much better.

Scripture tells us that the very first occurrence of sin happened as a result of a lie.
The devil acting a serpent said to Eve, "Did God really say..." and "you will certainly not die" in reference to tempting her with fruit from a tree in the Garden of Eden.
The lie hurt everyone involved. Nothing good came from it.

Lying is a short term reaction that actually restricts you later.
Many people from childhood learn that lying can potentially get you out of a fix. But it doesn't most of the time. It robs you of relationship. It restricts you going forward.
I have noticed that we use lying as a protection mechanism. But yet again it only restricts us further.
Truth is the only thing that will set us free!

Check out this simple and yet 'true' statements from Scripture for a moment...

Proverbs 12:22 niv
The Lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

Colossians 3:9 niv
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.

My heart for you is that you are able to enter into everything that God has for you. Lying won't help your cause.
Please be brave and honest and then you will more and more free!

Something to think about...