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Commandments 9 & 10

"You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16

“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.” It’s important to always be truthful. Listen: “The Lord detests lying lips but He delights in men who are truthful” (Proverbs 12:22). But this commandment goes way beyond merely telling the truth. It involves treating people fairly and graciously. Whenever people say, “Sticks ‘n stones may break my bones; but words can never hurt me,” it’s not true. Words do hurt! They inflict wounds - especially malicious, gossiping, misrepresenting, judgmental half-truths. One author writes: “Lord, what a cruel thing my tongue is. It ruins reputations, lies when pushed into a corner, boasts to satisfy ego, talks when silence would be golden, does not report matters correctly, makes trouble for me, my relatives, friends and co-workers. Adjust my tongue to truth, gentleness, love, fairness, and perform a miracle of compassion in me.” “Do not covet anything” that belongs to your neighbor. Coveting means: a) grasping b) continually craving c) lusting after things that don’t belong to you. It’s when you can’t stand to see others doing well, without wanting something for yourself. It’s what stopped the Prodigal’s older brother from going to the big welcome home party. Instead, he stayed outside sulking, feeling resentful and missing the celebration. Covetousness does that - it alienates you from God and other people. So ask God to remove all traces of it from your life today.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgive me when I gossip or bear false witness against others! Help me to always speak the truth – and in love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen