Why do we go through great lengths to lie to ourselves, pretending to be and do things that we don’t and didn’t? I’ve given this great thought over the past few days and have concluded that it is because we are ashamed and can do better, but don’t.
While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God. (Acts 5:4 ESV)
There was a man and a woman named Ananias and Sapphira who committed to sell their property and bring all the proceeds to the church and they didn’t. At the end of the story we know that both people were died when confronted with the truth. However that is not the point, it is the result of what happens when the truth finally catches up to us when we lie to ourselves and also to God: we die. If the result of our lying is death at the confrontation of truth, then why do we do it? Moreover, shouldn’t it behoove us not to lie to ourselves? I don’t want you to believe for one second that lying to ourselves merely involves breaking promises and commitments. It does involve that and then some. Lying to ourselves also entails pretending to be somebody we are not. This is not a “fake it till you make it” type of pretending, it is more like, “con your way to the top” type of pretending. The Bible says that you don’t have to lie to yourself or to God about who you are and what you do. Doing so leads to death. God loves you for you, not the lie you tell yourself about you. God does not rescue you through the blood of Jesus to have you pretend. We all know you and I are not good people, let’s not lie to ourselves like we are. We must simply come before God contrite and honest about us, Jesus takes care of the rest.
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