September 15, 2021 – Click here to listen
I was telling a friend that I just had a couple of more weeks and three more fishing trips and then I had to return to the “daily grind” of the Florida Keys.
Hmmm . . . It did not really sit that well with him. One would think I had poked him in the eye with a stick or something. I suppose I shouldn’t have ribbed him knowing he had to work and all.
I spent many tough years of long hard days and nights working and suppose I earned a right to take it easy in this final inning of my life. I don’t suppose that gives me the right to harass a working person, however, so I offered an apology. He was not convinced that the apology was legit, and no amount of protesting would convince him otherwise.
I was thinking about being lied to by friends, acquaintances, family, and people I don’t even know. Some, after being caught in a lie, would admit it, but I just could never bring myself to trust them again. It was a firing offense at all of my companies, and I rigidly enforced it.
While you might think that to be harsh, once they lied, my trust in them became void. I’m told that everyone lies a little, especially fishermen and I am not talking about those little lies of no consequence. I enforced this policy primarily on accountability issues. Small lies are sinful but things like covering for the boss by a secretary and so on are not deemed to be vile deeds except by the strongest fundamentalist.
My sons were brought up not to lie and they didn’t. I always told them that it would be far worse for them to accept any punishment for a misdeed than for me to catch them in a lie. I also advised them that the same would hold true throughout their lives. Better just to be a man and admit to whatever happened, apologize if warranted, and ask for forgiveness, than tell a lie.
There are many advantages to telling the simple truth. One you don’t have to remember some stupid story, your conscience will be clean, and God will smile upon you. The Bible mentions the word lie 100 times and there are many more references to telling the truth. It is important to God that we speak the truth.
Lying always has bad consequences. Satan is the Father of all lies according to the Bible. That should cause us to pause before doing it. He is also known as the destroyer and many reputations and worse are destroyed by liars. Hmmm . . . “The truth will set you free but first it will make you miserable.” – James Garfield – Great wisdom in those words.
Well, I was sincere when I told my buddy, “Aw com’on I was just joking around, but I suppose I shouldn’t rub it in.”
He just laughed and said, “Riiight” . . .
Lol
Proverbs 12:22
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy”