No Fake News!

Deuteronomy 5:20

Isn't it interesting how accustomed to being lied to we are? It does not matter if you watch CNN or FOX, you get lied to. Add to that, our politicians make a living telling lies. Then the medical field has lost credibility after COVID. Is it any wonder that Americans do not trust any of those three fields?

Sadly, there are good people, Christians, that work in politics, the media, and the medical field, but they often get painted with the same brush as the ones who give them a bad name. I can relate because as a pastor, I have felt like I was being judged unfairly after the Catholic priests and sadly the Southern Baptists' mishandling of sexual abuse. Integrity seems to be a thing of the past.

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You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Deuteronomy 5:20

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When I read Deuteronomy 5:20, I cannot help but contrast it with Acts 1:8 (…and you shall be witness to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth). One is the idea of being a bad witness, and the other a true witness. One is perjuring yourself, and the other is being faithful to the truth. One is what we are used to from the "professionals" around us. The other is who we are called to be in Christ.

There are so many ways that we can be false witnesses. There are those blatant lies that are almost unbelievable. Then there are lies that are close enough to the truth that they are believable. There are half-truths that paint an incomplete picture. We can emphasize a certain part of our story to lead the hearer in the wrong direction. Frankly, it is a wonder that anyone believes anyone else. Sadly, some people get burnt so much that they stop trusting anyone.

Christians should be known for their honesty. If we mess up, we should own up to it. If we break a rule, we should report ourselves. If asked to lie, we should refuse. We should have so much integrity that the world hates us. I know that sounds crazy, that we would live a life that leads to us being hated, but that is what happens when you live for Jesus. You stand out in stark contrast to the way the world exists, and they cannot stand it.

Sometimes integrity is called into question as a test. This test may be from God, or it may be from someone we know. There is a scene in the movie "Courageous" in which a character is asked to lie about some crates arriving at a warehouse. His boss asks him to lie about the number of crates that arrive. He refuses, and expects to be fired. Instead, he is promoted because it was a test of his integrity. Even without the promotion, or even if he had been fired, the ultimate test is from God. We do not want to fail a test for Him. We need to be honest in our dealings.

Father, thank You for calling us to be witnesses. Help us to remember that we are always on the witness stand, and how we live is our testimony of who we believe You to be. May our witness reflect You so that the world knows You better. May they "see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven" (Matthew 5:16).