«A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will not escape» (Proverbs 19:5).
INTEGRITY
After many years of controversy over his triumphs at the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong admitted on January 2013 that he had taken unauthorized performance-enhancing drugs in order to win the competition seven times. After affirming that no human being is able to obtain such victories without using drugs, he said, «It was all a big lie.» Previously, on October 10, 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency explained how Armstrong had established a method to dope his entire cycling team. Then, the International Cycling Union stripped him of his wins in the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005. The press released the news throughout the world. Armstrong was attacked, mocked, sued, and reprimanded everywhere. To this day, he’s considered one of the biggest frauds in sports history.
I have to admit I was extremely hurt by the confession made by a man I admired so much. I had even mentioned him in one of my books as an example to follow. And every time I heard accusations against him, I was reluctant to believe he had been lying. But when he finally confessed his wrongdoings, many of us who admired him felt deeply disappointed.
You can’t live a life based on lies. Success and achievements can’t be fully en joyed when in your heart you know that they are not true. Cheating doesn’t edify your character for eternal life. There are no excuses for lying and deceiving others. Sooner or later those who lie will be discovered and everything will come crashing down. But when you force others to participate in your deceit, it’s even worse. You become an agent of evil which will destroy other people’s lives.
No lie should be considered insignificant. No matter how small it is, sooner or later the lie will get us in trouble. Whether in school, with your friends, or at home, always try to avoid any form of cheating or dishonesty.
Is your Christian life «a big lie»? Is the life you’re living today deceitful? Have you encouraged or forced others to take part in your deceit? Don’t allow that to continue. Sooner or later you will be found out and it will be worse. Confess your sins before God. He won’t mock your name or expose you as a cheater; on the contrary, He will forgive your sins and help you overcome bad habits that drown your spiritual experience today.