This is a part of the Command blog series where we’re talking about how the Ten Commandments aren’t just a dusty set of tablets with dumb rules . . . by a long shot!
This second-to-last command is quite a mouthful: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Huh? Let’s define a couple terms there.
Bear false witness: a classy way to say “lie.” Try that on your little brother. “You always bear false witness!!” Speechless.
Your neighbor. Maybe you’ve heard it, maybe you haven’t, but often in the Bible when it speaks about a “neighbor,” we’re really talking anyone and everyone. The Hebrew word used here (שָׁכֵן or shâkên if you wanna get fancy) is defined on Blueletterbible.com as a resident, fellow-citizen, inhabitant.
won’t you be my / N E I G H B O R /
We often think of this too small: a resident of my neighborhood; of my street. A fellow-citizen of my homeowners association. An inhabitant of this particular mile stretch, which was deemed a “neighborhood” a long time ago.
But really, this is a resident of our planet; a fellow-citizen of our earth; an inhabitant of our big, blue-green spherical domicile.
So, basically: don’t lie to anyone.
Lies: sophisticated sinning
We used to be such bad liars. Remember that? Where was the skill? The suave? The sophistication?
I honestly think I still am a bad liar. I just overthink it (which is a good thing). My face and ears turn bright red and my eyes get all shifty because my body decides to remember and then verify everything I ever read about human psychology (aka people get shifty-eyed when they lie).
This is when I just squeak and give up, dispensing my whole terribly-concocted plan.
Yeah; if I mess up, I just have to deal with it.
It isn’t that we’ve stopped lying: we just know how to do it better. We also make these gradients of lies, calling on that ever-trusted white lie when the time comes (Is there a yellow lie somewhere in there? That may be the only legitimate-colored lie.).
Ways Amanda lies (oh boy)
Yup, I’m giving up all my secrets in the name of a blogpost (just kidding).
But honestly, okay: I feel like pretending you didn’t see someone is lying. Do you ever do this? I’ll have days I just don’t feel like interacting with humans or telling someone else “I’m good” when I’m really not. So, oh no, here comes that person; I pull out my phone and start texting or, worse, turn the other direction.
What about when we tell someone we’re happy for them . . . but we aren’t? Now, I have to be careful here. I’m not saying you give into those feelings of jealousy, or that you go up to them and say “Wow, God has given you to me as my thorn in my flesh. How are you doing?”
Or how about when we tell someone we’ll pray for them, but know we won’t? Just say a prayer right there and ask God to bring it back to your mind later, too.
Or we’ve all been in the position where dad asks if we cleaned our car or mom asks if we’ve put our laundry away and we’re like BUT IT’S SATURDAY LITERALLY JUST LET ME BREATHEEEEEEEE so we say “Yes” in an effort to get them off our case.
And to all my fellow exaggerators: okay. I’m a proud fiction writer and hyperbole is one of my choice methods for brightening up both written and verbal communication. (My mom is constantly interrupting my story to say—”Did that really happen?” And then the massive wolf that attacked me on the way home turns back into a post-it note that I left on my visor that flew off and poked me in the eye.) Yes . . . unfortunately, exaggeration has turned into a big way of “lying” for me.
But. Life. Is. So. Boring. Otherwise.
Okay, not really, but you get the jist. Don’t embellish stories. Don’t believe all of Amanda’s stories.
The poison of lies
IT’S JUST SO EASY. I am often guilty of speaking before thinking . . . my brain is still buffering, checking through my mental thesaurus for a better word than “good” or “like” or “smart,” and out pops a quick lie.
This is where learning to live in the power of the Holy Spirit comes into play. Pray that He helps you hold your tongue and stop your lies; that He helps you to wait and completely buffer before spouting out that story or that impossible detail.
PREVIOUS POSTS
- No. 1: I am an idol worshiper
- No. 2: Worshiping what I’ve done
- No. 3: 3 ways we take God’s name in vain
- No. 4: What you need to know about the Sabbath (this one has turned out to be quite controversial . . . we have some good discussion going on!)
- No. 5: Why honoring your parents is more than putting your laundry away
- No. 6: Thou shalt not murder . . . or dislike??
- No. 7: How single people commit adultery
- No. 8: Things we steal
