Is It Still Lying if You Just Aren't Offering the Information?

Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed. -Proverbs 12:19 (NLT)

I've faced this question multiple times over the last few months. Sometimes it was with friends as they struggled with whether or not to share something with someone else. And sometimes, it was ME!

You see, my most recent experience with this was over breastmilk. I was absolutely terrified to tell my birth mama that we were planning on giving our sweet angel, Gwen, breastmilk for the first year of her life (if we could get enough breastmilk, that is!). Now, I nursed all of my babies and I know all the reasons why I wanted to give Gwen breastmilk. They were valid reasons. But sometimes people get worked up over this topic and I didn't want to make any waves with my mama. After all, she was carrying my baby and I didn't want to upset her!

Over and over again since this first came up back in December (before we lost Gwen), I have encountered friends who are wondering if they should share something or other with someone else. Essentially, the question had become: is it still lying if I'm just not offering up the information?

And here's the truth that I've felt God has been whispering into my life: YES! By withholding the information, keeping it a secret, whatever you want to call it, you are saying that what you are doing is wrong. Period. And worse, if God is convicting you on it, you are telling God that you don't trust him enough to bring you through whatever happens as a result of your honesty.

Last night, though it really makes no difference now, I told my mama about the breastmilk. And you know what? She laughed! She absolutely didn't care that we were planning to give Gwen breastmilk. Here I had worried about telling her for months and it didn't bother her! I truly wish that I had followed that nudge to be honest from the beginning and just told her our plans.

Here's my challenge for you and me this weekend: What information are you withholding that God has been convicting you on? Maybe it's time to come clean!