Scripture
“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).
Marriage devotional
Before you add the “do not lie to one another” verse to your “got that covered” list, consider lies of omission.
For some reason, it’s easier for most people to commit this type of lie — to withhold information or leave out facts that might not please your spouse. Maybe your motivation to do this is to avoid conflict, or maybe you just want what you want.
Here are some examples:
- Buying something that’s outside the budget and keeping that fact from your spouse.
- Withholding your feelings about something with your spouse, even though you have strong emotions about the issue. You don’t share your true feelings and then become resentful and bitter.
- Cheating on a diet when your spouse isn’t there to see you. If your spouse didn’t see it, it didn’t really happen, right?
- Failing to correct a misconception so you can hide the truth.
- Hiding sinful behaviors such as porn use.
- Telling your spouse only part of the story — a half-truth — to make yourself look better or protect yourself from correction.
When Abraham told a half-truth and committed a lie of omission, God didn’t let him get away with it. This happened in Gerar, where fear led Abraham to say that his wife, Sarah, was his sister.
He failed to also mention that Sarah was his wife, which is why Abimelech, the king of Gerar, thought Sarah was free to be his. But God told Abimelech in a dream, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife” (Genesis 20:1-3).
In Genesis 20:12, Abraham basically said that his lie of omission wasn’t really a lie, because Sarah was his half-sister. Apparently, God didn’t agree since He told the king the whole truth in his dream.
Lies of omission are still lies. They separate us from our spouses, while God’s plan is for husbands and wives to be unified in every way and reflect the love shared by the Trinity.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, prompt us by Your Holy Spirit to be completely honest about everything, including our emotions, our money, our weaknesses and our mistakes so we can grow closer to each other and to You. Lord, we need You to remind us that Satan is the father of lies, including lies of omission, and that he will use them in any way he can to destroy our relationship. Please reveal any lies of omission we’re rationalizing.
Today’s marriage devotional question
Is there a lie of omission you need to confess?
