Little White Lies?

A man once said that when he visited Alaska it was so cold that the flame on the candle froze and he could not blow it out until the next spring when it thawed. We all appreciate a good joke, but when someone misrepresents something and makes it appear like it is the truth, we all are offended at being told lies. A liar destroys trust in everyone around him.

No one likes or trusts a liar, but is there ever a justification for a "small" lie? Some people call them "little white lies" in order to make them sound like it is not a sin to tell them, but is disobedience to the eighth commandment ever acceptable? I am not talking about situations like Rahab, or the Hebrew midwives where they were saving lives. I am talking about those times when we are able to tell the truth, and no one is going to die for it, but we still choose to misrepresent things.

It does not matter if someone is avoiding embarassment, or is seeking the path of least resistance; Satan is the father of lies, and if we fall into his traps it is very difficult to remove ourselves. You can call it exaggeration, or embellishment, or whatever. If one knowingly speaks a falsehood for someone's personal advantage, it is a lie and is therefore a grave sin. The devil has numerous terms for various sins that make them seem to be ok. Do not let him lie to you about the nature of lies.