Is This What You Really Want?

Proverbs 13

Remember the rush of getting away with a little white lie as a child? Maybe you said you cleaned your room when really you stashed the entire mess under your bed. Maybe you said you ate your vegetables as you slid that hunk of broccoli to the family dog under the table. The lies we told as kids seem insignificant now. But left uncorrected, lying is a sinful habit we can carry into adulthood. Lying takes many forms in Proverbs 13 — speaking carelessly and saying things we don't mean, pretending to be someone we’re not, saying we don't need help when we do, conning others to make money, saying one thing and doing another. The wise and godly don’t experience the rush of getting away with a lie, but they also don’t experience the consequences of getting caught in one. Which do you prefer?

1. Think back to the last time you lied about something. What were you hiding? Was the lie worth compromising your integrity?

2. How is insecurity causing you to pretend to be someone you’re not? Ask God to give you confidence and to believe that you are worthy of being who you are.

Challenge: Those who surround themselves with wise people grow wiser. Who are the wise people in your life who are helping you become wiser?