May 25: The Small Lies

Sometimes it’s not the big lies that trip you up. It’s the little ones that slip out without thinking.

Proverbs is blunt. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who do the truth are His delight.

His delight. Not just tolerated. Delighted in. God takes pleasure in truthful people.

Drinking trains people to lie. Not always big lies. Small, constant ones. I’m fine. I only had a couple. Running late, traffic. I’ll call you back. Sure, I remember. After a while, the lies come out automatically, even when there’s no reason for them.

Recovery means untraining that habit. And that happens in small moments, mostly. You catch yourself starting to say “traffic” when the truth is you overslept. You stop and say, actually, I overslept. Sorry. It feels uncomfortable. It also feels clean.

Step Five is a big moment of honesty. But integrity isn’t just big moments. It’s built in hundreds of little ones. The Fifth Step clears out the past. Daily honesty keeps the present clear.

At work, this might mean admitting a mistake instead of covering it. At home, it might mean telling your spouse where you really were, even when it was harmless. With friends, it might mean saying no instead of making up an excuse.

You’ll mess up. Old habits are strong. When you notice a little lie, correct it quickly if you can. It gets easier with practice. Many people find that within a few months, honesty starts to feel more natural than the lies did.

And people notice. Trust that was broken during the drinking years starts to grow back. Not all at once. One honest moment at a time.

It can help to ask God each morning for an honest day, and each night to look back at how it went. Not to grade yourself harshly. Just to notice, and to thank Him for each honest moment.

One thing today

Watch for small lies today. Every time you catch one, correct it out loud if you can. Tonight, write down how many you caught.

A prayer

God, I want to be someone who does the truth. Help me catch the little lies before they come out. Thank You that You delight in honesty. Make me trustworthy again. Amen.

Integrity is the theme of Step Five.

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