Podcast: The Trouble with Making Stuff Up

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“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
-Exodus 20:16

I cannot tell you how many lies I have heard in my career. No matter where I have worked, people are so willing to throw someone else under the bus when it can get them something. And it’s not something they resort to have hours of negotiations. No, it’s the first thing they jump to. If they don’t get what they want, they’ll say, “Well, that other person who works here told me it would be done.” “She told me it would be here by now!” “That person never returns my calls!”

Of course, all of these can be legitimate statements, but so often they are things we say in order to try to tilt the situation in our favor.

Sometimes we do it for sympathy, or even to be funny. While working on this podcast, I became painfully aware of how often I get into conversations about people who aren’t there to defend themselves. This person did this, or that other one said that. Maybe it’s completely true, but without the full story. Someone can do a hundred things perfectly in a day, but the one thing he messes up will be discussed around the office. Sometimes, even by me.

This commandment speaks about being truthful about others in court, certainly. It also speaks about being truthful about others in every day life. It means not lying about the previous customer service rep when on the phone. It means not starting (or spreading) rumors about someone you don’t like that much, just because you don’t like him. It means not repeating that embarrassing moment for a laugh. It means not complaining to your friends because a coworker messed something up. It means not doing harm with your tongue.

Which is hard to do, because it is so easy to talk bad about someone who made you angry. It’s so easy to tilt the story a little in your direction and against your coworker when the boss wants answers. It’s so easy to call someone a name when you are angry and want to hurt that person. It’s so easy to not be loving in every thing we say.

When Jesus was tried, those against Him brought false witnesses so they could have the result they wanted. But no less harsh were the words of Peter, when he denied being a follower of Christ. Or those of the thief who mocked Him, speaking falsely of who He really is.

And that may be the worst way we break this commandment – when we speak poorly of our Lord in order to fit in, or when we do not defend Him out of fear.

Jesus’ words were never false. He never gave a half truth about someone. Sometimes He was harsh, and sometimes cutting, but never false. And so when He calls us to repentance and promises us eternal life when we follow Him, we can trust those words. We can believe every statement, for He would not bear false witness.