I noticed a girl blatantly lie today telling someone she was in sixth grade when she’s really in fourth. I noticed it because she’s lied to me before for the same reason. She doesn’t feel like she’s adequate or good enough for people to like her so she ‘improves’ on the truth to make herself look better. It got me thinking, how often do we do the same thing to each other? How often do we put our ‘best foot forward’ or pretty ourselves up before we walk out the door in efforts to cover up what we see as inadequacies. I know I’ve been guilty of not sharing ‘the whole story’ when it might make me look bad. So in trying to get to the bottom of this phenomenon I asked myself, ‘how does it feel when this girl lies to me to make herself seem better in my eyes?’ That’s when I realized, what she’s really saying is, ‘I don’t trust you enough to love me just the way I am.’ She feels she somehow needs to embellish her image to make sure I don't decide she's no longer worthy of my love. She’s not protecting her image. She’s doubting my love.
How often do we do the very same thing to God? We put all our best, most noble deeds on the altar as if that would somehow improve our standing in His omniscient eyes. We come to church dressed to impress, showing off how spiritual we’ve become. We convince everyone else by serving in every possible ministry in the church. And all the while we’re lying to ourselves thinking God must be happy with me because I do so much for Him. What we’re really saying is, ‘God, I don’t trust you enough to love me as the wretched sinner I know I really am.’ But He is God, not a man. He is the One who can truly love unconditionally because He defines love. (1 Jn 4:8) It was while we were sinners that Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8) He came not to save those who thought they were righteous, but those who knew they were sinners. (Matt 9:13; Luk 19:10) The references abound, shall I continue? His history with Jacob, Moses, the whole nation of Israel, David, Peter, Paul, as well as other less notorious sinners speaks for itself. What is there left to doubt?
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Snide remarks?
Liars make more friends
posted on 3/19/2008 11:24:00 PM
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5 comments:
mostly just nodding in agreement. i posted a blog that questions that idea of being people we really aren't. it's titled "harold crick"
http://jadongood.blogspot.com/2007/11/harold-crick.html
But you know me, I'm all about the 'whys'. Why do we do what we do? That's my real question.
Amen and Amen brother. We hide because we don't value ourselves as God values us. Our self value increases as we see the true love God has for us. It took a long time for me to see it, still don't fully comprehend it.
She's probably had a lot of people leave her or dissapoint her. It might be hard for her to imagine anything different.
I agree jimmy, we hide because we don't value ourselves like God values us.
awesome post mike... I have never thought about it as a trust issue, but it's so true. When it comes to relationship with others and someone is caught lying it's so hard to trust them again... when in fact, they lie because they don't trust... man... great observation.
Praise God for seeing past my wretchedness as much as I may try to "hide" it...
Jadon, I caught that post a while back... I agree... SCAREY!!
Love ~G
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