The Silent Lie
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The Silent Lie
dove Sun 13 Jan 2008, 12:20 am
Read: Leviticus 5:1; Proverbs 29:24
Samuel Butler was a British novelist of another century. In a wry moment, he observed that "the best liar is he who makes the smallest amount of lying go the longest way." There's one kind of lying that can go pretty far, and you get a lot of bang for the buck: it's the silent lie.
You know what I'm talking about. It can be so easy. I know the truth, but speaking up about it might get me into trouble. It might wreck a relationship, or get someone I care about into a jam. It might mean saying good-bye to that coveted promotion. Or it might even just be a whole lot more fun to raise an eyebrow or avoid the question, because I might look smarter or "in the know."
Now, to be fair, there are times when it's not my place to say anything. After all, the Lord counsels us to be slow to judge and quick to love. But when the truth is at stake, it can be dangerous to keep quiet. How do I know when it's my place to speak up?
It's pretty simple, really. In our modern times, when you know the truth about a crime, you are expected to witness. If you refuse, you may be charged with obstruction of justice. You may even be clapped in jail as accessory to the crime.
In Bible times, the same principle applied. If a crime occurred and no witness came forward, the leaders proclaimed their innocence in a ceremony (Deuteronomy 21). God put a huge emphasis on the importance of witness' testimonies. "If [anyone] has seen, heard, or known about something he has witnessed, and did not respond to the public call to testify," the LORD says, "he is guilty" (Leviticus 5:1, HCSB). When the truth is at stake, our job is to defend it.
Lying doesn't have to be saying something false. It can be as simple as saying half the truth, or none at all. Silence can be a lie.
I don't want to be the one holding back the truth. "To be a thief's partner is to hate oneself," warns Scripture. "He hears the curse but will not testify." (Proverbs 29:25, KJV)
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com
Samuel Butler was a British novelist of another century. In a wry moment, he observed that "the best liar is he who makes the smallest amount of lying go the longest way." There's one kind of lying that can go pretty far, and you get a lot of bang for the buck: it's the silent lie.
You know what I'm talking about. It can be so easy. I know the truth, but speaking up about it might get me into trouble. It might wreck a relationship, or get someone I care about into a jam. It might mean saying good-bye to that coveted promotion. Or it might even just be a whole lot more fun to raise an eyebrow or avoid the question, because I might look smarter or "in the know."
Now, to be fair, there are times when it's not my place to say anything. After all, the Lord counsels us to be slow to judge and quick to love. But when the truth is at stake, it can be dangerous to keep quiet. How do I know when it's my place to speak up?
It's pretty simple, really. In our modern times, when you know the truth about a crime, you are expected to witness. If you refuse, you may be charged with obstruction of justice. You may even be clapped in jail as accessory to the crime.
In Bible times, the same principle applied. If a crime occurred and no witness came forward, the leaders proclaimed their innocence in a ceremony (Deuteronomy 21). God put a huge emphasis on the importance of witness' testimonies. "If [anyone] has seen, heard, or known about something he has witnessed, and did not respond to the public call to testify," the LORD says, "he is guilty" (Leviticus 5:1, HCSB). When the truth is at stake, our job is to defend it.
Lying doesn't have to be saying something false. It can be as simple as saying half the truth, or none at all. Silence can be a lie.
I don't want to be the one holding back the truth. "To be a thief's partner is to hate oneself," warns Scripture. "He hears the curse but will not testify." (Proverbs 29:25, KJV)
Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com
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Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) wrote powerfully about the need for an intimate relationship with Almighty God, including this: “He who has a pure heart will never cease to pray; and he who will be constant in prayer, shall know what it is to have a pure heart.”
