I have tried to stay inside most of today. It is a really windy day outside. There was a very windy day earlier this week, and on that day I had to go to work. So today I have just tried to stay home. I have seen the sun go behind clouds to come back out again. When the sun is out, it is very deceiving. The bright sunshine convinces us that it is warm outside. Only when you step outside do you realize that the sun is lying to you. I have noticed that in the last three hours, the temperature has dropped ten degrees. I know that this type of weather is typical here in Nebraska. One day you can wear shorts and the next you need your parka, but that still doesn't change the deception of the sun. Looking outside of my window, the sun currently looks so inviting. I almost want to go outside and read a book in the sun.
Of course I would not go outside to read right now, I know that it is cold outside despite what the sun is trying to tell me. Despite the almost clear sky and warmness of the sun through my window, I know that it is cold outside. My kids do not realize that the sun lies yet. There are some days that my seven year old will think he can wear shorts because the sun is shining and it looks warm.
Life is a lot like the weather today. There are many things in life that try to deceive us. There are many things that try to convince us to do things that we may not normally do. People, advertisements, the sun, and even animals all try to get us to do things. Animals have a special type of deceitfulness: cuteness. This makes people really bend over backwards to do things that the animal wants. Advertisements deceive us into believing that we need a certain product or to watch a certain movie. Deceit and lying are everywhere in our world today.
People try to deceive other people all the time. There are so many forms of deceit. There is deceit that takes the form of manipulation, there is deceit that is just to be mean. I have experienced both types of deceit, not only on the receiving end but also on the giving side. I am not proud that I have I have deceived others in my past, but I am able to admit my mistakes today.
The bible addresses deceit and lying. There was lots of deceit that happened in the bible. If you look at the story of Samson and his powerful hair. His wife kept trying to deceive him. See Delilah had teamed up with Samson's enemies to take down Samson. Samson finally gave in and told the secret to his power, which Delilah then used against him. She kept telling Samson that if he loved her, he would tell her the secret to his strength. He finally caved and told her. She then deceived Samson. That is only one illustration of many that demonstrates deceit throughout the bible.
If one were to read the book of Proverbs, there would be a continous warning about being deceitful. Proverbs 12:20 reads, "Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy." Proverbs 24:28 reads, "Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips." Proverbs 12:17 says, "Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit." Proverbs 11:18 says, "The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward."
Get the picture yet? Proverbs has many more verses that deal with deceit. So does the rest of the bible. If you were to google "deceit bible verses" you would get a large result. Basically it comes down to that the Lord does not want us to be deceiving. The Lord wants us to be honest and trustworthy. He wants us to be able to walk uprightly without guilt or shame for what we have done to our neighbor or our friends.
I will admit that it is hard to walk uprightly at all times. It is very easy to tell a little lie, while you think you are protecting someone or something. That is not what the Lord wants, He wants us to tell the truth. He wants us to not try to start drama among friends. He wants us to do the right thing. So the next time you think you need to say or do something that is aimed at making you look better, ask yourself 'Is this going to tear down someone else? Are my actions going to be the reason someone gets hurt? Are my actions for the right reasons?' If you cannot answer those questions with answers that please God, maybe you need to rethink your actions.
A good rule of thumb before you start talking about people, always ask yourself 'Is this something that I would want said about me?' If the answer is no, then maybe you need to keep it to yourself.
Always remember that God loves you and forgives you, you can live the life he wants you to live.
Also always remember it is not as warm as it looks outside!
God Bless!
Dueces
~Jennifer
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would love to hear from you, please leave a comment.