THE BIGGEST LIE TOLD IN CHURCH

You have asked and answered these questions a thousand times. “How are you?” “How’s your week been?” “How are Bill and the boys?” “How is Jane?”

All questions of this kind get a single answer. You could have it made up into a necklace or pin and just point to it.

The biggest lie told in church is “Fine!”

Now, people can be fine, but we take the easy route in interpersonal relationships by using the word as a cover-up. After all, most often the question itself is really a pleasantry and not a solicitation for revelations of a deeper nature. The end result: we are not genuine, and love atrophies.

God is never fooled. He knows all, but how can He help us if we don’t come before Him in full truth?

Our fellow saints know a lot less than God does, but they’re not fooled, either. How can we pray for one another if we won’t tell one another our needs? The scripture urges us to do that. Intercession does do good.

Jesus was genuine. Many accusations were made against Him, but He was never accused insincerity. Jesus never said He was fine when He was in the garden or on the cross. He admitted the agony and the wish to have the cup pass.

The other extreme of this, of course, is to let everything hang out. Soon people will start to write you off if they always hear about how you’re at your wit’s end. In fact some may begin to help you get there. We need to develop a way of letting other saints know our true condition without going overboard in any direction. There is one way to do that.

Be under the guidance of the Spirit. Let Him translate your needs to the Father and direct you in your conversations with others. And when others come to you with a need knit your heart to theirs and pray for them.

Then we can be fine.