If a Man Lies to You, Will He Steal From You? - Apples of Gold - August 27, 2010 -vi-

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Apples of Gold
 

Radio Script for August 27, 2010

“If a Man Lies to You, Will He Steal From You?”

 

Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.

Listen to this old saying and see what you think.

“If a man will lie to you, he will steal from you.”

Do you think that’s true?

I realize it’s more of a proverb than a statement of fact, but let’s take a look at it.

If a man will lie to you, will he also steal from you?

Well the risk is higher when stealing.  People make a bigger deal out of it.  They call the police.  They press charges.  Your name ends up in the paper.

So because the risk is higher, a man who will lie to you may not steal from you.

But if he lies to you, you do know this.  He is motivated by something other than high principles and moral character.

If a man steals a pen, will he steal a car?  If he steals a car, will he commit murder? 

Obviously it’s less risky to steal a pen, so a man may easily do one without coming close to the other.

But this is a man you need to keep an eye on!

“What?  A man who steals a pen?”

Yes.  When a man steals a pen, he reveals something of his character.  You know that he is willing to break a solid moral law if the risk is low.

If that is true, what would he do in a Nazi Germany?  Would he stand up to the immoral tide, or would he be willing to break the moral law?

What we are looking at is a man’s core motivation.  What will he do and why?

Some men will do whatever they can get away with.  If they don’t think they can get away with it, they won’t do it.  But if they think they can get away it?  Look out because that is exactly what they will.

But a Christian man does not try to “get away” with things.  He knows that God sees all, and that there’s really no such thing as getting away with things. 

A Christian man wants to do what is right in God’s eyes.  His core motivation is to please God above himself and others.

His constant prayer is, “Will this please You, Lord?”

If pleasing God is a man’s motivation, then what happens when he thinks about stealing that pen?  He will decide not to because it will not please the Lord. 

This is a man who is guided by higher principles and character.  His decisions are not situational; they’re not based on risk and punishment.  His decisions are based on what is right and good, regardless of the cost.

This man will not steal from you or lie to you, because they both displease the Lord.

Paul said in Acts 24:16, “I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”

That is the goal, to be clean before God and man. 

We are to do good in all situations, and when we do, God will reward us.  Ephesians 6:8 says, “…the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does…”

So back to the original question:  If a man will lie to you, will he steal from you?

He may or he may not, but either way he is not a man of the highest moral character, and not someone we should imitate.

Instead, we are to be people who seek to please the Lord, who choose to do right and good, no matter who is watching, and no matter what we think we can get away with.


Comments?

E-mail me:  dougapple@wave94.com.

May God bless you today!  With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.



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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)

Why “The Arrow’s Tip”?  Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold.  Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.”  I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.

Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL  32315
(850) 926-8000
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