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End the Spin


Join with me in continuing the hard work of addressing the sins of my heart, but just as nature resists a vacuum, simply subtracting old habits and sins isn’t enough. I must replace old ways of speaking with new ways of speaking. 
Whereas the Old Testament said, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15), the New Testament goes further. It does not stop at, “He who steals must steal no longer…” but continues by saying, “…rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need” (Ephesians 4:28). The New Testament is never content to merely demolish sin, but always eager to establish new works of love. The Law of Love not only keeps me from breaking the negative commands of the Law, the Law of Love does more, looking for and creating positive ways to do good to my neighbors. Positive commands are certainly found in the Old Testament, but the New Testament takes things to a new level.
All that to say, that I do not want the mouth exercise (here, here, and here) to focus only on what not to say, but on what to say. And I will make the shift in future posts, but not yet. In both Ephesians and Colossians, Paul instructs the believers to “lay aside the old self” before his instructions to “put on the new self.”
So I turn once again to the hard and heavy task of asking God to break down the illusions of myself that I’ve constructed in my mind and to wake me from my stupor to the reality of my need for a savior. I continue my conscious effort to evaluate my heart by observing the words that come out of it. My mouth shows my heart to be in desperate need of supernatural transformation. The words that come out of my mouth are proof that my own efforts at reform are puny and inadequate.
One sin that squarely blocks my path on the road to authenticity is lying. Lying? Pffft. My reflex is to dismiss lying as a problem that doesn’t apply to me. I tell myself I would never fall prey to such a crass, obvious sin.
But that thought is itself deceitful. I don’t think of myself as a liar because I have other names for it. How often do I shade the truth or put my own spin on a situation? How often to I present myself in the best possibly light or carefully cultivate the image that I present to others? It is the air I breathe. I find that my fallen human nature can take even the desire to be authentic and twist it into self-aggrandizement, a calculated, depraved exercise in deception. O Lord, free me! 
Every lie I’ve ever told has been motivated by fear, sometimes fear of consequences, but usually fear of rejection. Lying is my way of controlling situations and manipulating outcomes to turn out in my best interest. Lying shows my startling lack of faith.
How to I combat the tendency to “market” myself? By intentionally presenting myself in the worst possible light and doing everything I can to tear myself down? No, that isn’t authentic either. That’s false humility—another form of lying.
John reminds me that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). I need a fresh view of God’s love demonstrated in Christ to drive out the fear and convince me again that I am completely accepted through union with Christ. Jesus cannot be any more loved and accepted than he is, and I, if united to him through faith, enjoy the same degree of love and acceptance. Why lie if I’m united to Christ? He has everything under control, so I don’t have to manipulate. He has already promised to bring about the best outcome for me. If I face hard times for speaking the truth, Jesus will see me through. If men reject me for telling the truth, I’m in fellowship with my Lord and Creator.
So today, in addition to watching out for complaints, sarcasm, and gossip, join me in looking out for any form that lying might take. I trust God to create in me the authenticity I crave, not manufactured by my efforts, but as a result of the power of the Gospel at work in my heart.

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