If there is one thing all human beings are good at doing it is lying. People lie to their spouses, to their kids, to their customers, to their coworkers, to their family and friends, and even to themselves. Society has almost made it a norm that we have to lie about certain things to move ahead in life. What does the bible say about lying and is it bad for you?

Proverbs 6:16-19 says “There are six things that the LORD strongly dislikes, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Lying is right up there in the list of things that God absolutely hates and there is a good reason why.

In John 8:44 Jesus says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and has nothing to do with the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” According to Jesus when we lie we align ourselves with the devil the father of all lies. This may seem a little too harsh but that is the truth. As Christians, we are called to be honest with each other and not lie to our brothers and sisters. Every time we lie we stop growing in our relationship with our Jesus and doing what the devil wants us to do, which is to lie. A lie sets us back big time. How many times has one simple lie led to us saying many other lies to cover up the first time we lied.

Lying, in general, is a vicious cycle, once you get caught in the web of lying you keep lying until finally the truth is exposed. The bible says in Luke 12:2-3 that “there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” With this being said it is better not to lie in the first place. We can save ourselves a lot of hardship, anguish, and embarrassment by not lying.

Colossians 3:9-10 says “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” This verse clearly says that lying has no place in your relationship with God. If we want to grow as Christians, we absolutely have to stop lying. Lying is one of those sins that may not seem like a grave sin, One might say it is not as serious as murder or adultery but according to God it is nothing but an abomination. It is one of those sins that can easily take over your life and cause rifts of relationships. The impact of lying is just as profound as any other deadly sin mentioned in the bible. It is one of the devil’s most reliable weapons. If he can get everyone to lie to each other he can keep us away from growing in our relationship with God.

So is lying bad for you? “Research has linked telling lies to an increased risk of cancer, increased risk of obesity, anxiety, depression, addiction, gambling, poor work satisfaction, and poor relationships,” says Deirdre Lee Fitzgerald, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at Eastern Connecticut State University. So lying does not just affect your relationship with your father according to the bible but also your health according to secular research. So what can we do simple, stop lying! the solution really is simple in theory but in reality, it is hard to practice. This is why you need God. If you confess your sins to him and if you ask him for help to stop lying the holy spirit will convict you whenever you say a lie and slowly you will stop lying.