It is interesting that in our day and time a Disney Park would have problems with a measles outbreak. At one time the
measles was declared defeated but now the greatest outbreak of the measles this country has seen in 20 years. But why?
The reason is, as everyone’s stating in the medical profession, people are choosing not to get vacinated. Vaccination helped to end some of the biggest illness in the Western World. The threat of dying of illnesses lthat once “plagued” our culture is incredibly low and We know that. So why would we opt out of getting vaccinated today?
The answer lies in the great and mighty power of a lie.
The Measles Is Just One Example
There was once a doctor who, without doing the proper research and basing his conclusions on something other than trustworthy stats, began claiming that vaccinations cause autism in children. His name was Doctor Andrew Wakefield. The studies that he put forth on the link between autism and vaccines were “an elaborate fraud”. He has admitted to this after his lies have done incredible damage world wide. The damage was the result of a deception that he was held accountable for publicly. Yet, very oddly, people are trusting the results of his research so much that they are opting not to vaccinate their precious children.
We are quick to hear information like this, process it, and make it part of our thinking never to re-examine it again. This is oftentimes the power of a lie that we hear. We hear the information, believe it to be true, act upon it, and never reconsider it no matter how much other information that we receive.
The Destructive Power Of A Lie
James goes into great detail about the destructive power of words ill spoken.
“If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.”-James 3:3-5 ESV
How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!
Lies have a tremendously destructive quality. They consume and destroy leaving massive amounts of destruction in their wake. In this case a lie has led to many people not being vaccinated and causing this highly contagious illness to spread and young people who are not able to be vaccinated yet could be exposed to this illness. But this isn’t the only lie that is destructive.
I have witnessed firsthand the power of lies within the body of Christ. A woman started a rumor once that the pastor had done something that he did not. The fire spread. It could not be put out. No matter how much evidence was produced the lie would not be destroyed.
The lie that this woman began produced much conflict in that congregation. It produced a great dishonoring of Christ as a group of believers left and continued telling the lie. And the power of that lie was seen as people faced with the truth continued to spread the great lie. Once a lie is believed and told it is hard to turn back the tide.
I have seen people’s reputations destroyed by a lie. I have seen lives destroyed through the power of lies. I have seen lies and deception be the cause of families splitting apart. I have seen husband and wife separated leaving their children picking up the pieces as a result of lies and deception. The destruction that lying causes is horrific. And here in the United States we are seeing the destructive power of a lie as people are contracting a highly contagious illness that would not have happened had it not been for a lie.
Take-A-Ways
This causes me, and hopefully others reading this, to examine ourselves. We see the destruction caused by lies and deception. We do not want to participate in such a horrible behavior. But, if we’re honest, we have.
Our lies didn’t cause the measles to make a comeback, or cause vaccines to be more expensive for those who can’t afford it in third world countries (maybe the saddest result of the Wakefield deception), but we have hurt others with lies and deception before. If we see ourselves rightly then I think we will see the lies that we’ve told and be ashamed. Our response should be to turn away from our sinfulness and trust the Savior. He has paid the price for my lying and every other sin I’ve committed. It is only in Him that I find forgiveness of sin.
I must also add that we must not believe everything we hear. The Internet is not always a reliable source of information. Hearsay isn’t always correct. We want to be people who love and uphold the truth, not lies.
Let us spend our lives being defenders and up holders of the truth. Let us destroy deception where we may. And let us cling to Christ when we fail.
R. Dwain Minor
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