Ezekiel 22-23
1 Peter 1
“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?’” Acts 5:3
How often do we lie? A study was done more than two decades ago by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst that found an average person will tell three lies within ten minutes of meeting someone new. Many of these lies are small and seemingly inconsequential, like telling someone we like their outfit when we really do not or convincing our kids to pretend they like a gift when they are disappointed with it. We may tell lies to get out of trouble, to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or because we think lying will benefit us in some way. That last reason perfectly describes Ananias and Sapphira.
Greed and hypocrisy were the motivations behind Ananias’s and Sapphira’s sin, and a lie was at its heart. Peter was angry because, when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church, they were deceiving the Holy Spirit, who is the lifeblood of the church. They gave the devil a foothold in their hearts, which he clogged with the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. The physical stopping of their hearts mirrored the spiritual heart attacks they suffered.
The problem with lying is that it can quickly become habitual. One lie almost always leads to another, because when people push or question us about a lie we have told, we find ourselves forced to lie again to cover up the first one. Even if we do not get tangled in a growing web of lies, our consciences will grow so desensitized to lying that it will become easier to lie again. This is why we must be wary, even of little white lies. Lying is the devil’s native tongue and the language of a corrupt heart. We are called to be truthful in all things and lying will choke our hearts, wreak havoc in our relationship with God and ruin our integrity in the eyes of others.
We may scoff at Ananias and Sapphira for lying in order to be commended by others, but for many of us, finances are an especially tempting place to allow deceit to creep in. There are some company owners who dip into corporate funds to pay for private expenses or luxuries and will write these off as business expenses. There are also those in charge of finances at work who may have their jobs threatened if they are unwilling to alter the company’s numbers to the government. The temptation to lie is a strong and common one, whether in finances or elsewhere, but God longs to fill our hearts with His integrity so that we can courageously hold fast to what is right and true, even when it is costly.
Gracious God, grant me Your strength to resist the temptation to lie. Remind me daily of the truth that everything I need in life can be found in You and You alone. Thank You, Lord.
1 Peter 1
“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?’” Acts 5:3
How often do we lie? A study was done more than two decades ago by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst that found an average person will tell three lies within ten minutes of meeting someone new. Many of these lies are small and seemingly inconsequential, like telling someone we like their outfit when we really do not or convincing our kids to pretend they like a gift when they are disappointed with it. We may tell lies to get out of trouble, to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or because we think lying will benefit us in some way. That last reason perfectly describes Ananias and Sapphira.
Greed and hypocrisy were the motivations behind Ananias’s and Sapphira’s sin, and a lie was at its heart. Peter was angry because, when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the church, they were deceiving the Holy Spirit, who is the lifeblood of the church. They gave the devil a foothold in their hearts, which he clogged with the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. The physical stopping of their hearts mirrored the spiritual heart attacks they suffered.
The problem with lying is that it can quickly become habitual. One lie almost always leads to another, because when people push or question us about a lie we have told, we find ourselves forced to lie again to cover up the first one. Even if we do not get tangled in a growing web of lies, our consciences will grow so desensitized to lying that it will become easier to lie again. This is why we must be wary, even of little white lies. Lying is the devil’s native tongue and the language of a corrupt heart. We are called to be truthful in all things and lying will choke our hearts, wreak havoc in our relationship with God and ruin our integrity in the eyes of others.
We may scoff at Ananias and Sapphira for lying in order to be commended by others, but for many of us, finances are an especially tempting place to allow deceit to creep in. There are some company owners who dip into corporate funds to pay for private expenses or luxuries and will write these off as business expenses. There are also those in charge of finances at work who may have their jobs threatened if they are unwilling to alter the company’s numbers to the government. The temptation to lie is a strong and common one, whether in finances or elsewhere, but God longs to fill our hearts with His integrity so that we can courageously hold fast to what is right and true, even when it is costly.
Gracious God, grant me Your strength to resist the temptation to lie. Remind me daily of the truth that everything I need in life can be found in You and You alone. Thank You, Lord.
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