10 Rules for a Better Life (#9)

"You shall not give false witness against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16

Usually we think the ninth commandment says, "Thou shalt not lie," but that's not exactly what it says. It basically says that we should not lie about each other, particularly in a court of law.

Now before we make the mistake of thinking it might be ok to lie in other situations, let's not ignore what the rest of the Bible says. For example:

"Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive each other." Leviticus 19:11

So what's the big deal, why does God have such a problem with lying? I think we can all admit that sometimes it's just easier to tell a little fib and move on.

The "problem" is that our God is a God of truth. And when we lie and deceive others, we are hiding the truth.

We all have our various reasons for hiding the truth. Perhaps we want to hide our faults from others, or cover up something we've done, or maybe we just like to tell people what they want to hear.

Whatever your reasons may be for twisting, disguising or masking the truth, all of our lies come down to one basic principle: we are all afraid of something. Every time we tell a lie, it's because we are too scared to deal with the truth.

So not only are liars untrustworthy, they are also cowards. When we lie about ourselves to other people, it's because we are afraid of being seen for who we really are. When we lie about the things we've done, it's because we're afraid of being caught and dealing with the consequences. Even when we tell white lies to our friends to make them feel better, it's because we're afraid of dealing with their reaction to the truth.

Think about the situations in which you lie. They might be tough to pinpoint because we typically get so used to lying in situations that make us scared or nervous that we don't even realize our own efforts to hide the truth. But see if you can figure out what sort of things you hide. Why do you keep those things hidden? Is it because you don't think people will accept you if they know who you really are or the things you've done?

Well, God is the only one who knows EVERYTHING about you, but He is also the one who will ALWAYS accept you. And that is where our courage to face the truth comes from. If it weren't for God's forgiveness, we would have little to no reason to deal with the difficult truths in our lives. It's no wonder so many people live a lie these days. They don't know the hope and freedom that the truth brings.

Even though there may be parts of your life that you don't like and you would prefer to ignore, you no longer need to hide because the God of truth is on your side. Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your sins are forgiven. And that is a very wonderful truth.

But in order to receive God's forgiveness, we need to repent and confess our sins. It's time to be big boys and girls and face the truth head on. As the apostle Paul says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

Our God is not a god of fear and shame. And He does not want these things to be a part of our lives. When we feel like we have to tell lies to get through life, we let our fear rule our lives. God wants to give you the courage to be honest with yourself and with others so that He can work in you.

So how do you want to live the rest of your life? Do you want to spend it hiding because you're too ashamed and afraid of the truth? Or do you want to be free and have the courage to live in God's truth without the fear of what people will think of you?

10 Rules for a Better Life (#8)

“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15

This is just one of those straightforward rules. You know what stealing is and you know that God doesn't want you to do it. It should be that simple, end of story.

But we like to complicate things with a lot of excuses like, "They'll never miss it." or "It's ok if I take from this person. They mistreat people all the time."

Do you really think God is going to hear those lame excuses and say, "Well, in that case, go right ahead and help yourself."? Am I the only one who thinks that sounds ridiculous?

Nevertheless, we make these dumb excuses because deep down we believe that we either know better than God, or what we want is more important than what God has told us. I know that sounds a little harsh, but we drastically underestimate our own selfishness even when it's staring us right in the face.

Think about it, when was the last time you put your own wants and desires above what God said? If you're honest with yourself, you probably don't have to think very far. Maybe you took something in a store or at someone's house (maybe your own house), or perhaps you lied on your time-card and accepted something you didn't earn.

Let me stress again the simplicity of this command. It's only four words, but the point can be compressed into two: "Don't steal." There is no room for exceptions or excuses. God wants His people to give to others, not take from them. If you're the one who needs something, do you trust that God will provide?

"He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” Ephesians 4:28

Furthermore, can you trust someone who has a reputation for taking things that don’t belong to them? God doesn't want His people to be known as untrustworthy thieves. And just because nobody catches you does not mean that God doesn't see it.

Our actions often reflect our attitudes. Think about someone who steals. What kind of attitude must a thief have to take from others? Probably something like this: "My own wants needs are more important than others' wants and needs." Is that the kind of attitude God wants us to have toward people?

“The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Romans 13:9-10Again, this principle is not complicated: God wants us to love Him and love others. We can't very well love those around us if we're stealing from them. So whether it's shoplifting, taking money from your mom's purse, or "borrowing" from your brother or sister without asking them, cut it out! God hates all of it no matter how bad or not-so-bad you think it is.