Honest to God

How is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit?
—ACTS 5:3

A church with a heart for the poor held a pledge campaign to raise money for people in their community. Church members were generous, making large and sacrificial pledges of money.

One couple made an especially generous pledge, but when the time came to write the check, their pledge seemed too extravagant. Privately, they agreed to donate a smaller sum. The following Sunday after the offering was taken, the pastor noticed that the couple's check was smaller than he remembered their pledge to be.

"Is this what you pledged?" he asked them.

"Oh yes," they assured him. And then they dropped dead.

This might sound implausible, but something very similar to this happened in the time of the apostles when Ananias and Sapphira shortchanged a pledge they made to the Jerusalem church. The issue wasn't that God needed the extra drachmas; it was that the couple was dishonest before God.

As the apostle Peter said to Ananias, "You have not lied to men but to God" (Acts 5:4).

Lying damages a relationship. If you have been tempted to lie to God, ask yourself why you feel the need to hide the truth. Speaking the truth to God not only strengthens your relationship with him but also prepares you for trustworthy relationships with others.

Prayer

Lord, I want to be completely honest with you—about my sin, my feelings, my doubts, and my joys.