Deceit, Discernment, and Deadly Words:

A Look At Who We Are And What To Do About It

© By Derrell E. Emmerson - 2006

DECEIT

Ways Humans Deceive

Deception is always working around us. We see it in every community and every group. It is possible to see its manipulations and make it a subject of prayer for others under its spell and avoid being deceived ourselves.

The following are some ways we may see deception working in a group. These are things we do to deceive. Our chief focus should be to avoid the temptation to deceive, to mislead or to control others ourselves. We are better people when we understand the weakness of our nature and watch and pray that we not enter into such temptation.

1. Deceivers begin “fuzzing” up the discussion by creating confusion, diversion, questions, arguments regarding definition of terms, and pretenses that one does not understand those in disagreement.

2.  When discussions are constructive the deceiver switches the topic.

3.  Those who wish to deceive will use mild or positive terms (euphemisms) to make their negative behavior seem positive.

4.  Deceivers make every effort to divide members of the group by collusion or flattery of those whose influence is needed.

5.  Deceivers take every occasion to attack the strong or influential members of the group by highlighting their flaws or weaknesses.

6.  The deceiver will demand unnecessary information, useless details, or unreasonable responses.

7.  Deceivers redefine reality by calling attention to parts of the whole that did not succeed and by minimizing successes.

8.  Those who are seeking to divide and deceive will find high sounding causes to justify hostile action.

9.  Deceptive people divert attention from all of the facts.

10.  Deceivers don’t like to share responsibility for failures and frequently seek out scapegoats.

11.  To cover the lies of the accuser, the deceiver will accuse others of lying.

12. Those seeking to deceive will promise something others desire and deliver something else under the pretext that it was what was desired.

13. Those who mislead will find, flatter, and brainwash a collaborator.

14.  Deceivers will entice others to attack them so the deceiver can become a victim of the group to win the sympathy of other group members.

15.  Deceivers will blame history, ancestors, predecessors, or defects in inheritance for their own failures.

16.  Those seeking to deceive will create loopholes or changes in contracts already agreed upon by the group. They are particularly fond of rewriting history.

17.  Deceivers share only partial information and become pipelines which strain all information.

18.  The deceiver will always arrange for deniability.

19. The deceiver will usually work hard to create a “heroic” and exceptional image of himself/herself.

20.  The deceiver will sometimes tell the story of his own misdeeds as if he is apologizing, all the while manipulating the facts to his own advantage.

21.  The deceiver will entice others to keep his secrets so that they are implicated with him by participation in a pretext of “trust.”

DISCERNMENT

We cannot begin to have discernment until we realize that “bad” people do “good” things and “good” people do “bad” things.

Spiritual Discernment

It takes divine insight to know when evil is called good and good evil. Some, who have this gift, are not necessarily “believers.” Many believers do not have it because they do not trust the insight as spiritual. In any case, discernment is a gift that we may receive or not.

Discernment is Active

Discernment is not passive. If your discernment indicates something is “rotten in Denmark” you are motivated to discover what specifically is rotten. When you hear something that sounds good you search to find if the thing is true. Likewise, if your conscience tells you something is good, the person of true discernment pursues the good.

Playing God

Discernment is not given us to engineer ultimate justice. When we believe we can create a perfect justice we end up playing God and creating injustices. Discernment comes to us primarily to avoid evil, to do good, to protect the weak and to warn the unwary. Human justice requires humility.

O’Connor’s Equations ¹

In the name of “good” we kiss the Savior.

In the name of God, we kill Him.

In the name of “good” we betray brothers.

In the name of God we shut them out.

In the name of “good” we smile.

In the name of God we purge the Kingdom.

In the name of “good” we pretend friendship.

In the name of God we protect ourselves.

In the name of “good” we fear our discernment.

In the name of God we are passive while wrong prevails.

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¹ Flannery O’Connor, a Christian novelist, wrote of the dark and contradictory aspect of human nature.  These “equations” are not authored by O’Connor but are an analysis of the way she perceives human nature in her writings.

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Jesus’ Harshness

Jesus was most harsh on those who covered human sinfulness and lovelessness with a veneer of religiosity.  He looks for those who embody his testimony in character and simplicity. He is not at home in his Father’s house where believers “advertise” their faithfulness or use ministry as gain.

Matthew 6:5 – And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

1 Timothy 6:3-6 – ³ If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; ⁴ He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, ⁵ Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. ⁶ But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Jesus’ and Flattery

Jesus never flattered. He always encouraged those who had some awareness of their frailty and faithlessness. He challenged the self-sufficient, encouraged the failing, and proffered judgment to the Father.

Jesus and Dissidence

Jesus never “kicked out” the dissident. He commissioned Peter after “he denied him.” (John 21) He loved Phillip when he demonstrated dullness of mind. (John 14:8) He reached out to Thomas when he doubted. (John 20:24 ff.) He invited Matthew to be an apostle when he knew he had betrayed his nation as a tax collector. He welcomed Judas to His last meal with his friends. All who remained welcomed correction.

Abuse of Power

Power is a personal obsession when people who have power eliminate all opposing views, demand uniformity and call this uniformity “unity.” Another way of speaking of this phenomenon is to say that obsession for power is at its apex as one seeks to control the thoughts and feelings of others.

The Use of Power

People who have received the love of Christ are secure. They never abuse power. They are kind. They are patient. They do not have over-confidence in themselves. They do not want to negate the good that others do. They always push others to the spotlight. They do not delight in another’s misfortune. They do not have ambition for position. They are not preoccupied with their role or office. They never demand.  They live to protect others, they trust in the power of good, they continually have hope for life out of death situations, and they never give up!

Do you think these are merely the words of a mortal man? They are just a paraphrase. {1 Corinthians 13}

Biblical Oneness

Biblical unity is achieved and maintained by love. In that sense, unity is a work of the Spirit because love is the nature of God. Therefore, unity cannot be demanded.

Suffering

There are two times when we suffer. No, three! One is when God wants us to know the power of sacrifice. The second is when we are learning of the faithfulness of God. The third, and most grievous, is when we have closed our eyes to wrong and our ears to wisdom.

Proverbs 1:20-33

Do you hear Her?  “Wisdom calls aloud in the street…”

DEADLY WORDS

The prophet Isaiah had a vision of God. His first comment was, “O Woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips.” He understood the power of words to build and destroy – the sin of commission.

Words

Words.

Sometimes they are like dust.

Inhaled in gross profusion

they gag the heart

and leave the mind muddled.

There have been other times

when my face caught a handful -

thrown like gravel -

hot little peppercorns that stung.

The most disquieting are ones

rolled into icy snowballs

like small rocks.

In the air they are innocent white things

but strike with clout.

Talk is Cheap

"Talk is cheap," Annie said.

As witness she gave John

kin for kind.

Their conversation

was a flea market:

each trading junk

neither wanted.

Lack of Presence

Words are powerful. Likewise, giving our attention to others is powerful. We have many ways of hiding from those we are with. The age we live in provides us with many ways to be somewhere else. When we take advantage of those escapes we shout to those who are present in our lives that they are not important. Failure to give others our attention is the sin of omission.