Proverbs 19:22 "What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar."
Why do people lie? What is the purpose of a lie? A lie is an attempt to manipulate someone else into acting a certain way. Manipulation is the ultimate objective of any lie. The "original sin" was based on a lie to entice Adam and Eve to fall, Satan manipulated the situation to fit his agenda. A lie is the gateway to a self destructive path that can undermine the fabric of any relationship.
Suppose a man and woman are in a relationship, married or dating but there is some level of commitment. The man tells his wife he is working late but in reality he wants to go have a drink with his co-workers. Why did he lie? He may have feared his wife would object or that she would want to meet him there and her really wanted it to be a "guy thing". He lied to her because he knew she could not really object to working late and he could go do what he wanted. He manipulated the situation to avoid a possible confrontation and to get his own way. If she ever finds out the truth he will not only have to deal with the ensuing argument, he will have have to earn her trust and respect back. Next time he has to work late she will question it. The best part is that when she "dares" to question him, he gets angry with her!
It becomes even more dangerous the more you lie because eventually you will believe your own lies - the truth is lost. Breaking the habit of lying can be extremely difficult and impossible without God, but in doing so we will find an amazing sense of freedom. The problem with lies is that they are like Pringles, you can't stop with just one.
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