These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a LYING tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who SPEAKS LIES, and one who sows discord among brethren. - Proverbs 6:16-19.

Do not LIE to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. - Colossians 3:9-10.

SEE HOW GREAT A FOREST A LITTLE FIRE KINDLES! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. - James 3:5b-6.

According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com nineteen percent of employees, admit to lying on the job at least once a week. Twenty-four percent of supervisors say they have fired someone for lying, and fifteen percent of the employees surveyed said they had been caught in a lie while at work.

Some of the top reasons given for lying were:

To appease a customer;

To cover up a failed project, mistake or missed deadline; To explain an unexcused absence or late arrival; to protect another employee; and,

To get another employee in trouble or look better in front of a supervisor.

Here are some of the top lies that employees use:

I don’t know how that happened;

I have another call to take or I’ll call you right back;

I’ve been out of town or out sick;

I like your outfit or you look great; and,

I didn’t get your email, voicemail or fax.

Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com sums it up by saying, “It may seem cliché, but honesty is the best policy. Even if you are motivated by the best of intentions, being deceitful can seriously compromise your credibility with colleagues and negatively impact your career progress. The vast majority of hiring managers – 85 percent – say they are less likely to promote an employee who has lied to them or other members of the organization.” (CareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest online job site with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs.)

It has also been reported recently about the large number of people who lie or deceive on their resumes. David Edmondson, former Radio Shack CEO is perhaps one of the most glaring examples having stated on his resume that he had two college degrees when he had none. Edmondson confesses, “I clearly misstated my academic record, and the responsibility for these misstatements is mine alone.” What a public humiliation that must have been! A mistake that will now always follow him in his life.

In the movie “Liar Liar”, Fletcher Reede, (played by Jim Carrey), is suddenly unable to tell a lie. As a result, his life as he knows it falls apart, however, in the end he learns to be a better father and that he really does not have to lie. I have wondered what would happen if no one could lie to someone else? What would happen to you at work if you were no longer able to lie about anything even little white lies? What would happen in your marriage and in every relationship you have if you were unable lie?

As the apostle Paul relates in the letter to the Colossians we are to put off our old way of living. That old way of living includes lying. We are instead to live in the “image of Him who created” us. Paul states in Romans 8:29, “For whom He foreknew (All those who have received or will receive Christ Jesus as their Savior.), He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” The next time you are tempted to tell a lie or deceive think about the image of Christ Jesus. There is no room for lies or deception in that image and you are called to be conformed to that image. You are to be like Him, predestined to be like Him. Isn’t it time to start acting like it?