Can you handle the truth?

          Watching movies with my husband can sometimes be “enlightening”. He is a very practical kind of guy and when there are things in the movie that either don’t make sense or are totally improbable, he likes to point it out. I think that is one reason he likes the show Myth Busters. On this show, they take myths and things that happen in movies and prove whether they could really happen or not. One of the lines used in the show is, “I reject your reality and substitute my own”. While in the show he really does do that, when I hear that, it makes me think of a verse from Psalms.

          Psalm 119:29 says, “Keep me from lying to myself, give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.” David knew how easy it was to lie to himself. He knew as King he could have pretty much anything he wanted and he didn’t really have to answer to anyone here on earth. We see this come into play in the story of David and Bathsheba. David saw Bathsheba and he wanted her, so he lied to himself and said he could or should have what he wanted because he was king. He was married, she was married, but he was king and he wanted her. In that moment, he lied to himself and said it was ok for him to have her. Then when she got pregnant, he orchestrated having her husband killed to try and hide his sin.

          Deep down I am sure David knew this was not right. It’s obvious that since he tried to hide the fact, he knew it was wrong; but he lied to himself and did it anyway. We do that all the time. It is often easier to lie to ourselves and justify our actions than just do the right thing. We know deep down inside what is right and what is wrong, but we ignore that and tell ourselves it is ok. We use the excuse that everyone else is doing it, it isn’t really that bad, or we just feel like we deserve something.

          In our society today, we have become experts at justifying behaviors.  We want what others have and feel like because they have it we deserve it as well, so we get credit cards and purchase things we don’t really need because we want them and deserve them. We tell ourselves it is ok because we really want it and we can pay it off later. I am not saying it is wrong to ever have a credit card or a loan, but when we consistently are charging things we do not have the money to pay for, we just dig ourselves deeper in a hole of debt that sometimes feels almost impossible to get out of.

          People justify affairs because they do not feel love for their spouse anymore, or because their spouse doesn’t “meet their needs”. Just because you don’t have perfect feelings or a perfect marriage, does that give you license to totally ignore the word of God that says what God has joined together let no man separate? If you are married, you shouldn’t even entertain the thought of an affair. You need to protect your relationship like it is the most special gift you have been given. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 tells us to avoid even the appearance of evil. This means- you do not flirt with a co-worker, you don’t spend time alone with someone of the other sex, and you do not spend extended time talking and consoling each other. It is easy to lie to yourself and say there is no harm in this, we are just friends, he understands me, he makes me feel special- you may think it is harmless, but it rarely is.

          Another area we often lie to ourselves is in our relationship with God. We tell ourselves we are too busy to take time to read our Bibles and pray and that God will understand. We tell ourselves that we are Christians and go to church (at least sometimes) and so we are good enough and that it is all ok. We act like God wants us to do these things for His benefit, but really God wants us in relationship with Him for our benefit. What benefit is there to God when we read the word? Does it make God stronger or give Him more wisdom when we spend time in the word? No, it gives us wisdom and helps us to know how to live a better more fulfilling life. Does it make God feel more powerful when we go to church? Does He ask us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together because He just wants to tell us what to do so that we can be His puppets? No, He wants us to meet together to strengthen each other in the faith, to be a support for each other when someone needs help, to show each other things in the word. Yes, when we are in church, we worship God and this does bless Him, but God set up the church to be made up of people to help each other, not to just be a building to sit in for an hour or two a week. If this is all church is to you, then you need to find a church that is giving life- to you and to others. Church isn’t about the building or mandatory attendance, it is about the strengthening, edifying, and encouraging. Yes, God wants us in church to learn about Him, He wants us to put Him first place in our lives, the Bible says He is a jealous God and wants nothing before Him. When we do give of our time to study, pray, and attend church, that is a way we honor Him, but that is not His primary reason for asking us to do these things, it is so we can have a stronger relationship with Him. So don’t lie to yourself and say time with God and going to church aren’t important- they are vital, they are a lifeline to you.

          This week I challenge you to make a choice to take a look at your life and see what areas you may be lying to yourself. Find the things that are in your life that you are justifying and telling yourself they are ok, even though deep down you know they are not. Like David, ask God to help you not lie to yourself and to give you the privilege of knowing and following His commands.