Sweet, Hairy Lies

“Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Let down your hair!”

The pretty princess uncoiled her mounds of braids and let them fall from the tower’s window to the ground where the prince stood. Her rescuer had finally arrived, and her happily ever after was right around the corner—well, a few yards below her, to be specific.

I wonder about that marriage, though. Can you imagine the prince’s surprise at finding one of her hairs in his morning cereal? How many plungers and plumber’s snakes will he require to keep the shower drain clear? Could he ever sit next to her on the couch or lie beside her in bed without having her yelp and tell him to get off her hair?

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I’m not a fan of hair. When I find one on the floor or in the tub, I move it like it was a vile creature that had invaded our home. Ew. I need a pest control service to call for capturing and removing hair! The only reason I’m not bald is that my pride issue is worse than my hair issue.

Since dying my hair red, I’ve discovered more hair in my tub after showering. I wondered at first if I was losing my mane. Then I realized that the platinum blond strands had blended in with the white tub. The hair had still been present; it had just been camouflaging! I find that a tad deceitful.

This morning, while lathering my red locks (gently so as not to pull out any hair), I heard the words, “Tell me lies. Tell me sweet little lies.” It was a song from my playlist of upbeat 80s tunes, blasting from my Bluetooth speaker. Did the words go together: little and lies? My blond hair probably thought they did.

The words were familiar, and I could easily sing along with the chorus, but I couldn’t help questioning why the singer would want someone to lie to her. Why would she suggest this was desirable? What relationship built on lies ever succeeded? If one survived, it was after numerous heartaches and hard work.

We sometimes categorize lies according to their potential for harm. Have you heard of white lies? Those are the little ones we tell by omission or redirection to protect someone from getting hurt or ruining a surprise. Those are okay, right? Or those grey areas like claiming certain things on your taxes or parking in the space for moms with young children. Those aren’t really lying, are they? What about the stories we tell children about a jolly old elf, an egg-toting bunny, and a tooth-loving fairy? Okay, I may have gone too far.

When we question the rightness or wrongness of things, our best resource is God’s Word. What does the Bible say about lies?

Before we get to the end of the third chapter in the very first book, we read about a lie that caused the very first sin. The serpent deceived Eve with untruths that enticed her to disobey God and taste something she was forbidden to eat. The results of that lie were far-reaching. Centuries later, we suffer pain during childbirth, work hard to make ends meet (rather than lounging in a garden paradise), and face the death of our earthly bodies. On top of that, the serpent’s lie led to every one of us being born in sin and needing redemption—needing Jesus to die. One little lie.

The Bible is clear that lying is a sin. God showed His displeasure about lying by including it in The Ten Commandments given to Moses. The Living Bible translation states it plainly: “You must not lie” (Exodus 20:16). Period. There is no further explanation breaking down this “false witness” or “lie” concept. Unlike our modern-day interpretation, God does not sort lies into categories that range from Okay to Hell-worthy.

Here are just a few of the verses about lying found in His Word:

Who is the father of lies?

Is lying comparative to murder?

The truth will come out.

Like my platinum blond hairs, those white lies might blend into the background for a while, but they will eventually be discovered.

I wonder what color Rapunzel’s long tresses were …

Do you ever find yourself justifying a “little” untruth?

Reflecting on the verses above, I think we can agree that no lie is little. No lie is acceptable to God.

If our desire is to grow to become more like Jesus, there is no room for untruth in our character. Let’s aim for honesty with discretion in knowing when to zip our lips rather than hurt someone.

Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). I pray that your Holy Spirit will guide me toward truthfulness in every situation. Help me to know when to speak and when to be silent. Speak to my conscience when I consider saying or doing something dishonest. Use my life to glorify You. Amen.

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