Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked.
The above proverb has an interesting twist to it. If I am living a lie, then my counsel or advice to myself will be corrupt because I will continue to propagate the lie I am living. Therefore, the strong reprimand to myself should be as forceful as it would be if I was confronting a liar. Psalm 101:7 He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; he who speaks lies shall not be established before my eyes. Buying into the lie that many want to believe is nothing new. We have seen this take place on a national scale over the last few years. Whether people have doubled down on believing fake news, electoral shenanigans, or outright deceitful scams, we are inundated with lies to believe in. Lies to cover up, embellish one’s social standing, or gain advantages are practised without shame and are the default setting for many. Living a lie has become mainstream.
I am not talking about being deceived or tricked into believing a lie but rather choosing to believe the lie one lives in and declaring it as the truth in one’s life. Isa. 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. The lie you are living does not have to be of a national conspiratorial size. It can be as subtle and as quiet as the person who is justifying their adulterous affair and is now looking for affirmation that the decision to get involved in the said affair was the right decision. They cannot understand that no matter where they turn, the lie they now live with is their lot in life. This lie eats away at that part of their conscience that tells them the difference between right and wrong. No rest for the wicked.
I have wondered about the scripture that says God hands people over to the deception they want to live in. Rom. 1:28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. God hands them over to their own choices until the day they are sick of living without peace in their hearts and hopefully, they turn and repent. Lies and sin bring torment and eventually death. God continuously encourages us to choose Him and His ways but the choice has to be ours. Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live.
The lie a person lives in will not serve him in the long run. Yes, sometimes there is a short-term advantage to living the lie but eventually, the ruse is exposed because sin will expose what you are about. Num. 32:23 But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out. We need to realize that Satan is the father of lies. Therefore, the influence affecting your choices becomes obvious as to who is working the sinful narrative you have bought into. John 8:44b He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
What lie are you living and why have you accepted it as truth? Have you bought into the lie that old age is not worth living because you now have a few aches and pains that were once easily worked out? Are you looking at ways not to engage in physical exercise rather than get up and do what it takes to stay healthy in your advanced years? Have you accepted the limitations that employers, acquaintances, and family members have put on you because they claim to know who you really are? Or are you taking on new challenges that will expand the capacity of your heart and your mindful love for God? Are the doctor’s reports dictating your next move because of a setback in health, or is the fire God put in your heart still ablaze creating a vision toward your future? The lies we adopt will derail our lives and discourage our souls. Accepting the truth will set us free.
Jesus said He is the way to go, the life to live, and the truth to choose rather than settling for the lie many are living. We have the authority and are the rulers over our choices in life. We have the option to believe what God says about us or to believe the people and the circumstances they cause around us. Most of the time these same people set in motion the problems we end up in. Prov. 29:12 If a ruler pays attention to liars, all his advisers will be wicked. If we lend our ears to lies, we will end up with bad advice and become part of the blind leading the blind around an issue that God has already stated to be true or false. We will end up wasting our time and become powerless. 2Tim. 3:5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
The lie you are living has to be renounced and repented of so that the freedom God gave us through Christ can have its full and eternal effect on our whole life now and forevermore. May God’s righteousness fill our lives, and help us live in His truth. Amen!
Excellent word! I choose Life!!! I choose Jesus.