Lying to Ourselves

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

Isn't that so true? God's Word is indeed a sword. It pierces us and convicts us, but it also prunes us and cuts away all that junk that we don't need.

I read this verse from Psalm 119 the other day and gained a fresh insight:

"I lie in the dust, completely discouraged; revive me by your word.
I told you my plans, and you answered. Now teach me your principles. Help me understand the meaning of your commandments, and I will meditate on your wonderful miracles. I weep with grief; encourage me by your word. Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your law."
Psalm 119:25-29

OK so many of us know that Psalm 119 is an amazing Psalm where David talks about God's WORD and how important it is for us to eat and drink God's Word. But when I read this little dagger from God's Word, I was blown away...

David says, "Keep me from lying to myself..."

I know it is a sin to lie. It is one of the 10 commandments. It is a sin to lie to God and to lie to others. It is a sin to tell little white lies and it is a sin to tell big ole whopper lies..But what about this? Is it a sin to lie to myself?

Yup. It is a sin to lie to myself.

Why do we lie to ourselves? We lie to ourselves to justify sin, to talk ourselves out of something, to justify some behavior we know is wrong. We lie to ourselves to get away from the Truth of God's Word. Remember, Satan is the father of lies, so when we lie to ourselves we are listening to Satan as he tries to feed us junk food.

Example 1:
I spent all day at church yesterday. I feel so refreshed and thankful for God speaking to me. So today I am pretty tired mentally. I don't need to read the Bible today. I read it pretty much all day yesterday. Today I am going to just veg out in front of the TV. (LIE)


Example 2:
I know I already spent money on clothes this month. But those shoes are on sale! They are so cute and will match with everything. I know I already have black shoes but these are different. My husband won't be mad...and if he is I'll just pout and explain how hard I work and how I deserve something new and it's my pay day. I am sure we'll have enough to pay the bills. I know! I'll just charge them. (LIE)

We lie to ourselves! It's something I never really thought about before encountering it in Psalm 119. Lying to ourselves is wrong and it hurts God, others and it hurts our growth in the LORD.

We should look at lying to ourselves as just as serious as lying to others or lying to God. This culture tells us we deserve things when we can't afford it. This culture tells us we should be spiritual but "not too spiritual." This culture tells us it's OK to lie to ourselves (for example- that we can eat fast food all the time and not be unhealthy or gain weight).

My suggestion to all of us (starting with me first) is STOP IT. Stop lying to yourself about this or that. If nothing is screaming out to you, pray about it. I am sure there is some area where you or I have been lying to ourselves about for far too long. I am so glad God awakened me to this truth from God's Word.

I want to pray like David. My prayer is "Dear Jesus, please keep me from lying to myself. Instead, give me the privilege of knowing your law."