One Year Bible Reading Guide:

Ezekiel 44:1-45:12
1 Peter 1:1-12
Psalm 119:17-32
Proverbs 28:8-10 

Verse of the day:

Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions. (Psalm 119:29)

Humans have a strange affinity for lying. We hate being lied to, but we love the momentary shelter of a well-constructed lie. It’s not that we love lying, but we do love the alternate reality we create. When I lie, I instantly become a man who always follows through, never has bad intentions, and responds to every email in a timely fashion. Chaos occurs when the alternate reality unavoidable collapses. The collapse is why we hate being lied to.

However, there is one person with whom I can avoid a collapse for a much lengthier period of time. Me. Yes, ourselves! When we lie to ourselves, we make a unique pact between the victim and the culprit. Both parties accept the lie. We choose an alternate reality for days, months, and years. The lie is amplified and the delayed collapse is far greater.

Three types of self-deception are denial, rationalization, and projection.

    1    Denial is refusing to believe that something is true. “I don’t have a problem with alcohol (even though you drink everyday).” “I’m not jealous (even though you secretly check your spouse’s email).” With the skills of our own creativity, we build a reality where one plus one means two for other people, but not for ourselves.

    2    Rationalization is creating a reason to excuse ourselves from liability. “I wouldn’t have yelled at you if you would have treated me fairly.” “I know that smoking isn’t good for my health, but it helps me relax.” Our alternate reality is a place where unhealthy choices are legitimized by a fabricated necessity. 

    3    Projection is taking an undesirable aspect of ourselves and ascribing it to someone else. “You’re not mature enough to handle this.” “You’re not ready to hear the truth.” Our immaturity and selfishness is deflected onto those around us. We give ourselves permission to continue unaltered. 

Proverbs offers a prayer of recourse. “Keep me from lying to myself; give me the privilege of knowing your instructions.” We cannot protect ourselves from the collapse of self-deception without a reliable outside source. Honest accountability can be a great tool for unwinding our lies, but ultimately, God’s truth is the answer. His Word is the truth serum for our motives and our actions. His light reveals all. His truth provides the pathways to a secure and honest future.

Evaluate your lies, and then run. Run to the truth.