Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday January 11, 2007

I am oft required to again recognize the truth stated by the Apostle James that God's word is a mirror. The Bible is not primarily a microscope, but a mirror. The meanest people on earth are Bible carrying thumpers who use the book as a magnifying glass to enlarge the faults of others, all the while blissfully ignorant of their own 'out of place' appearance on the stage of life. Jesus commented on this when He told the story of a man with a tree in his eye trying to get a speck out of his neighbor's eye. While the story is meant to show, in a humorous way the silliness of fault finding, it does demonstrate a truth that we will do well to pay heed to.

The truth?

Quit kidding yourself about yourself.

Paul dealt with this foolishness in several places, the most well known is Galatians 6:7, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

An old mountain preacher used to state this truth in a simple yet powerful way, "Boy, you always gonna reap what you sow. If'n you plant corn, you sure as tarnation ain't a gonna dig taters! And you gonna pick more than you sow."

People from Princeton may state it more eloquently, but I doubt their version would have the convicting power of the old mountain man.

Self deception seems to be preceding the great satanic deception of an age so marked by deception that it is said to deceive the very elect if it were possible.

I talked with a young woman via telephone just a day or so ago. She was weeping because her father was caught lying to her again and again. Seems he is addicted to this vice. Tragically far too many people are engaging in lies that are even more destructive than lying to spouse or offspring.

Eric Hoffer, the longshoreman, migrant worker, hobo philosopher stated this truth succinctly when he wrote:

"We lie loudest when we lie to ourselves."

Why do we lie to ourselves? Could it be that if we tell ourselves the truth about ourselves, we must then admit our need for Christ? Our need for strength. Our need for forgiveness?

The Lord usually speaks in His still small voice. The self roars like a lion of its own importance at the expense of all else. The great question of life is always, Christ or the self? We, who carry Bibles, must in this generation relearn the necessity of denying self.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2007 Use with credit

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