Why Do People Lie?

 “Why do you think people lie?”

Last week, I had to appear for Jury Duty. A group of us sat in the courtroom to be vetted, and during this process, the Prosecutor asked us this question: Why do you think people lie?

There were lots of answers given:

* To try to hide something

* Because they are ashamed of the truth

* To make themselves look better

* To get away with something 

But my favorite answer was given by an older gentleman. He said, “Because they believe the lie is more beneficial to them than the truth.”

Wow. 

That sums it all up, doesn’t it?

Lies have always been Satan’s favorite tool. He loves to twist the truth so that the lie he offers seems more beneficial to us than the truth.

But the truth is - lies destroy lives.

…Lies people believe about themselves, their identity and their worth.

…Lies people tell to justify their actions; their behavior and their choices. 

…Lies we hear from the media and culture.

…Lies we let in to relationships.

Lies destroy lives. Whatever the lie is - it the opposite of truth.

And truth equals freedom. Truth brings peace and life. Truth builds trust and a solid foundation. 

Truth builds. 

Lies break. 

The biggest lie is the lie itself - the lie is NOT more beneficial to you in the long run. It ultimately costs you so much more than any “benefit” it ever erroneously offered. It always leads you down into the pit of destruction. 

At church Sunday, the Pastor said, “Faith always takes risks.” 

The Greek word for “faith” in Hebrews 11 can mean: "belief, trust, fidelity, firm persuasion." I found it interesting that the word "fidelity" was rooted in the word "faith." The definition of fidelity is "faithfulness, continuing loyalty, and support." 

Trust builds support. It's a foundation. There’s risk involved in trust. It’s fragile. Precious. It CAN be broken. But the greater risk is in choosing the lie.

This attached picture of the sandcastle is so poignant. 

It took time and attention and work to build that sandcastle. One lie can destroy it. We believe lies that destroy ourselves, our families, our communities, our faith. The enemy of our souls has ALWAYS tried to get us to believe lies that distort God's truth. The lie is never more beneficial. It always comes with a cost.

In the words of my smart daughter - “The possible payoff (benefit) is not worth the risk.”

God's word is truth. God ways are truth. Truth equals freedom. Seek truth. Pursue truth. Live the one and only truth.