Prov. 25:18 Telling lies about others....

Prov. 25:18  Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sharp arrow.

There are a lot of ways one can physically hurt others.  It is painful to watch what some people do to others.  It should outrage us at the way others are treated.  Perhaps you have been on the receiving end of being mistreated by others either physically or emotionally.  Sadly, it is not uncommon.  People who are lost have no problem taking their lostness out on others.  There is no way to stop the madness apart from Christ.  No imprisonment can keep evil people from being evil.  It is the nature of the soul without Christ to be self-serving and cruel to those who they don’t want in their lives.

As painful as physical pain may be, wounding the heart is just as bad.  Concocting lies about another can destroy the heart.  It can cause someone to actually believe the lies being told.  It can cause someone to foolishly seek revenge against the one spreading lies.  It can ruin the reputation of others.  It can create a mistrust in others towards the one being lied about.  It can cause the one being lied about to no longer trust others.  It can break one’s spirit and cause him to not even try any longer.  It hurts deep within the soul to be on the receiving end of someone’s lies.

God commands us to always speak truthfully in love.  Telling lies about anyone is never acceptable to God.  It never accomplishes anything but destruction.  When we talk about others we must always watch what we say.  If we must say anything about another’s character, we must always know that what we say is absolute truth and not heresay or just our opinion.  If we have something negative to say, we should first go to the person and lovingly address the issue.

Telling lies is a spiritual issue.  It indicates that the heart is not right with God.  Only the truth must flow from the lips of the redeemed.  Godly people never slander others.  They are truth-bearers.  And when the truth is shared, it’s only done in love so that restoration can take place.