Lying; why do we do it? By James Phipps

Has anyone out there ever done something and had it effect every aspect of your life? I have. Believe me, I have had plenty of that in my time as a Soldier. The problem I have found with those experiences, is that sometimes the way they affect you boils over to cause problems that hurt those that we love in ways we cannot imagine.
See, I have not really thought about this topic before but I think the worst thing that someone could do in a relationship, is lie about something. Even a simple little harmless lie can be the seed that grows up into a tree that makes more little lie seeds and starts an endless cycle that without a lot of help from God, cannot be stopped and will destroy your entire world.
Why do people lie? Is it to make friends? To cover something up? For self gratification? Who knows? I know that no matter what the reason, there is not an excuse, to get you out of why a lie was told. Most times if you think about it, one lie cannot survive on its own. It needs friends so you have to tell another lie so that the first lie can stay safe, and before you know it, BAM! Your lie tree is grown up and you cannot tell the difference between the truth and the lies. In the end all you get is caught. You end up alone, no friends, no life, sometimes no family, just you and your path of lies that got you no where. Oh, you are awesome while everyone thinks that you are telling the truth but when they find out otherwise, you are the last person in the world they want to talk to. Someone once asked me if I had to choose between a thief or a liar who would I pick? The answer was the thief because all you had to worry about with him, was him stealing something. The liar could rob you and tell a lie and you'd never know it. I have been in these situations. I have had a problem with lying for a long time, but thanks to God and a witty Chaplain, I can say that my lying days are over. Ha ha... now you all are probably thinking, "Yeah right, you cannot trust a liar, you just said so yourself!" but I am here to tell you through the power of God and His Word, you can overcome anything. I know I have been wrong, I know who I have lied to and I have told them the truth about everything. All I can do now is pray that someday they will forgive me and trust me enough to be my friend. Do not worry there is only really one person who has been the victim over and over again and they have been told. So if you don't know, it wasn't you :) Take it from me, God is wonderful, and he can help you no matter what. But if you take your eye off him because you think he is to blame... take a look at yourself first, you will almost always find the root of your problem there.