“Your Final Notice”
“This is your final notice…”
How many times do we hear these words and, in our own minds think, “Oh, if that were only true!”
We have held onto our telephone landline because it makes our internet cheaper (I cannot explain this but we check every year, with no cable TV, it is the case). With the landline comes many solicitation calls. We rarely ever answer it. Only a few leave a message. Today’s recorded message from the robot on the other end of the line was, “This is your final courtesy call…”
It is at least the tenth time that same message has been left. From the same caller. They are liars.
Our culture seems to accept lying under almost any circumstances. We are lied to to get our attention. We are lied to to get our money. We are lied to to influence our vote.
I wonder how the people who make these calls sleep at night.
But, it also makes me look at how our culture really doesn’t care about truth. It is one more principle for godly living that has been pitched. How does this affect the Christian? Is this not a place where we should be separate from the world?
We are created in the image of Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life. The lies we see in scripture that were not condemned were used to protect the innocent (Hebrews midwives saved Israelite babies from death [Exodus 1:17] and Rahab protected Israel’s men sent to check out the land [Joshua 2]).
Jesus was honest, forthright in His dealings with others, friend or foe, He did not try to trick anyone into following Him. He relied on His Father, always doing what the Father gave Him to do.
As the nation falls farther and farther from a biblical understanding of God and of His laws for our lives, we tend to “soften” the message of scripture. Many Christians are assuring others of the forgiveness of sin without mentioning repentance. Others say that “God understands” when we are hurt. Well, sure He does! This does not mean that we can sin in response and expect God’s blessings.
The deceitfulness of the world does not need to seep into the Church. Jesus has said that on the day of judgement we will give an account for every careless word we speak “for by your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37).
So, Christian please, unless it really is the last time you will call; don’t say it’s your final call. The scripture is full of so much wonderful truth that we need not fill our conversations with empty words or lies.
What we cannot have is those we talk to thinking, “Oh, if that were only true,” when they leave a conversation with us.