Mark 13:5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.”
One of my students recently gave a speech on the importance of telling the truth. She cited a study stating a whopping 60% of people lie at least once during a 10-minute conversation. The most common culprit behind the lies was a need to feel “likable or competent.” She described how even small, seemingly harmless deceptions can weave a dangerous web.
As believers, we should stand as beacons of truth, beginning with our personal lives. If we get comfortable rationalizing our small detours from honesty, it won’t be long until we create a pattern where full-blown deception feels quite welcome to kick off his shoes and lean back in the easy chair. We’ll become so accustomed to his company; we’ll actually forget he’s there (2 Thess. 2:10).
It’s vitally important to love the truth. Love the truth. Love the truth. Even when it hurts. Even when it makes you look bad. Don’t coddle misperceptions that nurse grudges and give you an excuse not to forgive. Don’t be afraid to speak the truth when it goes against the cultural grain. Walk with so much integrity that you cement a foundation that cannot be breached by lies, no matter how convincingly they’re packaged. Make truth-telling a habit.
Because it’s not going to get any better.
Deception reigns as a hallmark of the last days. When the disciples asked Jesus about signs of the end times, he warned them about deception (Mark 13). “Watch out that no one deceives you” (v.5); “You must be on your guard” (v. 9); “So be on your guard” (v.23); “Be on guard! Be alert!” (v. 33). He told them there would be a rise in false prophets and false messiahs who would dazzle people with wonders and miracles designed to deceive. But the more they immersed themselves in the truth, the quicker they would detect deceit.
So how is your truth-detector? Are you among the 60% who give in to telling those little white lies? Don’t let deception move in and carve out a groove in your mind. Love the truth. The whole truth. Nothing but the truth.