Jump Start # 1563

Galatians 6:3 “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

The word ‘deceive’ or ‘deception,’ is not a nice word. It carries the idea of being tricked or fooled, or worse, simply lied to. Often, by the time the lie is discovered, it’s too late. This happens in selling things. This is why in real estate full disclosure is one of the many documents a home seller must sign. This is why agencies such as CarFax reports will disclose the repair history of a car. Far too many were lied to and then discovered too late the truth about things. They were deceived.

In our Bibles we remember that Eve was deceived by Satan. He lied to her. Wolves in sheep clothing is a form of deception. The truth and reality is being hidden under the disguise of looking like one of the sheep. The wolf wants others to believe that he is just like everyone else, but he is not. He has a hidden agenda. He is out to destroy the sheep. Error hides behind lies to deceive the innocent.

The worst deception comes from our own hearts. We can fool ourselves. We can lie to ourselves to such a degree that we actually believe our own lies. Our verse today ends with the expression, “he deceives himself.” This is not the only time this is used. James states, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” In that passage, a man has convinced himself and fooled himself  by outward actions, such as going to church, that he is doing right. However, he has never changed on the inside. His tongue trips him all the time. He says things that he ought not to say. He has fooled himself. He has lied to himself. He has deceived his own heart.

Having said that, how do we keep from falling into that trap? How can we be sure that we have not deceived ourselves? How do we know that we are not lying to ourselves about ourselves? That’s a great question to ask. The fact that one would ask that is helping him find the truth.

Most of us realize that just sitting in a church house on Sunday morning isn’t the sure sign that we are ok with the Lord. Worshipping and sitting in the church house are not the same things. A person can “deceive” himself by “going to church,” but while he is there, he plays on his phone, he sleeps, he daydreams, he leaves unchanged, uncommitted and no different than he came. His heart wasn’t thankful nor did he offer praise to God. He tells himself that “he went the church,” but it didn’t do him any good.

One of the tell-tell signs is what is my faith doing for me during the week. We are to walk by faith and not by sight. Are we even using our faith during the week? Do I think spiritual thoughts during the week? Do I catch myself drifting and pull myself back in line with God? Do I pray? Do I think about the Lord? Do I try? Do I work on helping others? Am I engaged in things spiritual? Do I have spiritual conversations? As James tells us, do I allow my tongue to go uncensored? Am I saying things that I shouldn’t? Am I gossiping? Am I telling sordid stories? Am I lying? Our tongues can be a window to our hearts.

Deceiving yourself can be a scary situation. It happens in other areas as well. Medically, we don’t feel very well. We deny anything is wrong. We make excuses. We fight going to the doctor and then something bad happens. There were signs, we just ignored them. Similar things can happen in the home. A marriage starts to drift. We ignore the signs. We find excuses such as the demands of work, to hide the fact that the love is dying. Tensions mount until the discussion turns to separating. The signs were there, they were ignored. The same happens with parents and teenagers. The kid starts getting in trouble. The parents won’t believe the signs. They deceive themselves into believing that he’s a good kid until he is suspended from school or is arrested. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen a mother interviewed on TV after her son was arrested for killing someone and the tearful mom declares, “He’s a good boy.” No, he’s not. Good boys don’t kill other people. She deceived herself. She believed a lie. She ignored the signs right before her.

So for us, it is a matter of being honest. Looking at what you are doing. Listening to what you are saying. Sometimes, those very close to you, especially your family, will help you. They can be brutally honest. What are they seeing? What do they say? Are you putting on a good show for others? Are you a master at putting on masks that hides the real you?

Those who are deceived are usually shocked when they find out the truth. The guy who bought a car and was told that it was never in a wreck, but finds out later that it was, he’s mad. He’s upset. He’s been tricked.  In Matthew 7, Jesus uses the story of those who declared, “Lord, Lord,” and Jesus responded, “I never knew you.” They fooled themselves. They were busy doing things for the Lord, but not according to God’s will. They were lawless. They were lawbreakers. And to their surprise, they thought the Lord would swing the doors of Heaven wide open for them. Instead, He demanded that they depart from Him. They had deceived themselves. They believed their own lie.

Self evaluation. Examining yourself. Being honest. That’s the key. Are you growing spiritually? Are you engaged and doing more than in the past? Are you interested spiritually? Do you have a liking for the Lord? I’ve heard of brethren who embezzled from the church. I’ve heard of some brethren who stood before the congregation on a Sunday and were arrested the next week. I even heard of a preacher who during the evenings was  preaching but in the daytime, he was in a motel with a women he wasn’t married to. Shameful. Sinful. Hurtful. Wrong. How could they do this? They deceived themselves. They lied to themselves. They were not honest with their own hearts.

The publican who prayed in the temple, “God be merciful to me, a sinner,” was honest. He didn’t toot his own horn like the Pharisees praying near him. He was honest. Could that be one reason why Jesus wants us to go into the closet and shut the door and pray in secret. No one there to brag about. Pure honesty.

That closet can be a real closet. It can be in the car as you are driving home from work. It can be at the kitchen table as you sip your coffee in the morning. Being truthful. Being honest. Being real. It is much better to reveal that you are not getting it, than to believe a lie. It is better to admit that you need help than to believe a lie. It is better to ask God to forgive you than to believe a lie. It’s better to admit that you are discouraged than to continue wearing masks that hide the truth.

Deceiving our self is powerful and happens all the time. Have you believed your own lie? Maybe it’s time for you and God to pull back the covers and you be honest with Him. Better to do that now than for God to do it at the judgment. You will not be telling Him anything He doesn’t already know. What you will be doing is helping yourself. Stop the lies. Be honest with yourself.

You will be glad that you did.

Roger