2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Ezekiel 27-28 GW; 1 Timothy 4 GW
People lie.
Paul, writing to Timothy about the prophecy at the end of times, is warning him. People who once followed Jesus will desert the faith believing false teachings. We live in a world where incorrect information is rampant. If Paul worried about Timothy, can you imagine his concern for our world? One article I read said, on average, a stranger will lie to you three times in ten minutes of conversation, friends lie to you once in the same period. Talking to my friend Wendy about friend’s lying, she immediately responded, “Yeah, they say “I’m fine.”’
Wendy’s response answered a question for me. Thinking about my friends, I wondered what lies they told me. “I’m fine” is the biggest lie we all tell. How many times have you said the words? I know I’m guilty of saying everything is okay when inside, I’m falling apart. Friends don’t know you need help unless you tell them. The next time someone says, “I’m fine,” follow up with another question, “Are you really?”
Seek truth always.
Seeking truth in today’s world is more difficult than ever. As Christ-followers, we must become diligent in verifying the information we receive. Dredging through the billions and billions of pages on the internet to find truth is mind boggling. If we follow the wrong rabbit trail, unknowingly, we could believe lies, which means we become liars.
Don’t believe everything people tell you, or what you read. Just like, “I’m fine” is a subtle lie, so is the information we receive from the internet and mass media. Slight word changes make for huge lies. Bots, automated computers, have social media pages that deliberately post things to generate strong emotions towards people or movements. Facebook removed over 3 billion fake accounts between 2018 and 2019. Even with their diligence, about 5% of the 2 billion active Facebook accounts are bots.
Read between the lines. Seek the truth through Jesus. Allow God to guide you along the right path. Don’t fall for the lies; avoid the scars.
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Lord, thank You for unending grace and mercy. Forgive us for lying to others and ourselves. Give us discernment and wisdom to know the truth. When we believe falsities, correct us. Don’t allow us to go down the wrong path. Protect us from the lies of this world. IJNIP. Amen
Question for reflection
What lies do you believe today?
