"Tranquility"

"Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue." (Psalms 120:2)

  Another aspect of "degrees" is that of intensity, as in, how much will this matter, or how hot will it get; never mind the fact that certain things can lead us into doing things that we ought not do, if the intensity of the situation calls for it, we might not have any control over what we might do. Maybe we don't really understand the deceitfulness of the human heart? Isn't that where lying comes from? In all actuality, lying is the work and fruit of the devil. Even a simple little lie is enough to cause harm and unrest in a relationship; let alone what it does to the heart of the one that started it. It is like a revolving door, that just keeps coming back to that same lie, over and over, creating new lies to reinforce the falseness of the very first lie; until the simple little lie is complex and bigger than you can any longer control. Talk about intensity, once it is put into motion, it has a life all of its own. Anywho, this can all be handled by one very important rule: Don't lie! Easier said than done; but it requires some discipline and practice. If you have studied David's life, then you aught to know a little something about him, that he was not exactly 100% honest, and there were people around him that knew it and used it against him. At this point, what else can we do? "Deliver my soul," is pretty much all that we can ask for or expect. We cannot put that genie back in the bottle; there is no flash of light that can wipe away all the memories of those that knew or were affected by your lies. On the other side of this, there is being lied about; something that requires something closely associated with the title of this post. Tranquility is the art of being calm; the ability to remain calm in the storm of false accusations and lies against your character and your reputation. It really takes someone that has trust in God, that even the more intense things might become, they remain tranquil and calm. How do you prepare for such an event? What Would Jesus Do...

"Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witnesses against Jesus, to put him to death; but found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:59-64)