Therefore, putting away lying. Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
Ephesians 4:25 NKJV
This Scripture is the one on my daily Bible app today. All day I looked at it, I even shared it a couple of times on my personal Facebook page. It was sticking to me like a piece of partially chewed caramel candy, sticky with saliva. I just kept chewing on it, but never seemed to be able to swallow it??? I got a text from a woman Daddy God has recently used many times in my self pity parties to remind me that He can do anything. She used to just politely listen as I could rationally point every area of my life to either following God & abiding in His peace, or blame every bad thing on the enemy. She didn't understand why I felt I could hear Him, or how I knew what He was calling me to do, etc...She was going to church & she believed she was "doing" what she was supposed to do to be a Christian. According to the way our families raised us, she was.
We were raised to believe if you didn't kill anyone, or hurt anyone on purpose, or we could help others if they deserved it. Another thing I was raised to believe is that a "little white lie" won't hurt anyone. If you will cause friction, hurt someone's feelings, or make them feel uncomfortable, then a "little white lie" is the right choice. Talking about Jesus a lot in my house just wasn't done. "Bible beaters" made us uncomfortable. I was like any child I guess, I watched my mom & dad to learn how to be a good person. As I got older, I learned that it was my mom that would tell most of the "little white lies" although my dad didn't call her out on them. He would just sit there, until someone got upset with my mom & then he would protect her to them...but to her he would get upset & things would be "quiet & cold" at our house for awhile. So I learned that to tell a "little white lie" was ok. She did too.
But in the last six months or so, our conversations have changed. I have been pleasantly surprised on many occasions by how much she's opened herself up to God. To learn that He cares about EVERY detail of our lives. That He always loves us & that He wants us to do more than follow the laws. That His desire is for us to share Him & the Good News with everyone. That we allow Him to have control, to teach us, to lead us, to make us more like Him. She's asked questions that have made my jaw drop at the depth of her curiosity already!!! So, she's now aware that being a Christian has NOTHING to do with religion & everything to do with the relationship with Christ. That accepting Him as our Savior & that He not only laid His precious life on that Cross at Calvary, but rose again 3 days later, is ALL she has to do. Like me, she was happy to find this out. We both have our pasts & we both now know that we NEVER have to look back again....God is so so so good.
Back to her text. She asked if she could call...I didn't hesitate to text back "of course." So within moments her ringtone came singing out of my phone. When I picked up it was so good to hear her voice & instantly I felt the need to see this Scripture again. So I read it, then kept chatting & listening. At one point I thought I had figured out why He kept leading me to this Scripture. When we were talking about some people in our lives that are procrastinating important things. Finding excuses to not have to get things done. Relying on others to get done what they need to do. Waiting until the last possible moment, then asking us or someone else to "help" them. Oh, I stopped her & went to my app & read the Scripture to her. I was ready for her to say, "oh yes, you are so very right." I was ready to feel that pat on the back. The pat the world tells us we need to feel "right."
But she didn't seem to respond in that manner at all??? She seemed to not hear what I said, so I read her a couple more versions....still no pat on my back??? She didn't get the connection, so I explained to her...."we need to call them on the excuses. Let them know they are lying to themselves when they say they cant do something. Or lying to themselves about ....." She tried to get the connection. She could tell I wanted her to. I needed her to agree that it was their fault....Why didn't she get it???
Then came the WHAM....the Truth hit me while I was thinking about how they need to change. Daddy said to this self centered daughter, "she learned how to be from you, just like you learned from your family....you showed her that little white lies were ok most of her life....you showed her how to put things off....you taught her to sit & let others take care of her instead of vice versa....you were her example...even now as you sit in judgment of her choices, you are her example....your choice to keep lying to yourself about your health issues, weight & pain keeping you from doing what needs to be done...from enjoying the ability to home school, from fellowship with others...you are living a limited life by your own choice....this is her example."
I murmur "uggghhh" and she asks me what's wrong?? I tell her what I've just been given from our Daddy...she starts to laugh a bit & says "yep that's it." I re-read the Scripture, the Truth He wanted me to see in it is suddenly highlighted immediately...I am still lying to myself...I have to stop lying to myself & then she will see the truth in my example. I am her example, I can have the choice to what kind of example I want to be...or don't want to be.
So, with this being said, I am not condoning going out & hurting people with your truth. What Jesus calls us is to "love your neighbor as much as yourself."
I, myself will be getting up & changing my routine. I will not allow myself to have others serve me, when I'm able to serve myself. I have asked my Daddy to give me the energy & strength to get back to a good wife, mom, Nona & friend. Actions speak louder than any words. If I chase hard after Him, He will make me more like Him. I choose to become more like my Savior & be a good example...Are you lying to yourself about something???? Stashing something away to be comfortable???? Remember He knows it's there, He's just enough to let you find it yourself. It's called GRACE.
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