Are you struggling with being deceitful in some way? We have outlined a five-step process to help you change and heal in this area of your life. Take all the time you need with each of the steps below.
Step 1: Adopt a Correct View of God
God is truth. To view Him in any other way will only serve to justify your deceitful behavior.
- God is absolute truth. He cannot lie and He does not change His standards.
God is not a man, so He does not lie. (Numbers 23:19)
- God is righteous, and He abhors dishonesty in every form.
Because what you say is false and your visions are a lie, I will stand against you, says the Sovereign LORD. (Ezekiel 13:8)
What is your view of God with respect to honesty and dishonesty? Go to Scripture and review every passage that talks about God’s truthfulness. Don’t fool yourself. God will not tolerate lies and deceitfulness.
Step 2: Revise Your False Beliefs
If you believe that your deceitfulness is justified or excusable for any reason, you are wrong. Perhaps mistaken views of yourself, other people, or how life works are making it harder for you to be truthful.
- Do you believe your “little white lies” do no harm?
Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow. (Proverbs 25:18)
- Do you believe others are yours to “use”?
Do to others as you would like them to do to you. (Luke 6:31)
- Do you believe the end justifies the means and thus makes your deceitfulness okay?
Stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. (Ephesians 4:25)
Use scriptural truth about deceitfulness and honesty to expose errors in your thinking. Ask the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of truth, to help you first understand the truth and then speak the truth to others.