Have you ever been caught doing something that you knew you should not be doing?
What is our first reaction when this happens? It usually is to run, isn’t it? To run, to hide, to lie, deny, cover up maybe…?
I’m reminded of a time when I was young and my sister and I had just finished trick or treating. My parents told us… “No more candy.” But I had secretly eaten a tootsie roll. Or so I thought. My dad later asked me if I had done this. What did I say: “No.” And I remember being emphatic about it too. I had lied. In other words, ran from the truth… wholeheartedly.
What about when Peter, one of the apostles, was asked if he was affiliated with Jesus (Luke 22:54-62)? Three times… he denied it. Peter had run from the truth.
While these situations would seem to be very different (we may think one would have much more dire consequences than the other), the result is the same. Also, the character trait associated with the act is the same.
When we are caught in the midst of our own wrongdoing, are we looking for safety? Perhaps were looking for a way to make our wrong appear more right? With a little creativity we could possibly cover it up really well.
But if we know it’s wrong, and like a child, are in search of a safe place, we should know that when we run, we are running away from the only truly ‘safe’ place there is, in our Fathers arms.
If I would have said, “yes, I did it…I ate the tootsie roll!” and withstood the consequences, I would not have experienced such a swift and/or brutal, even lengthy judgement. As it is with every lie, with every cover up.
Consequence and safety lie before us… But are we ready to deal with both? Whatever it looks like.
The only way to know is through complete transparency, no matter the cost. To run towards truth.
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