Have you ever been in a situation where it’s seems easier to tell what’s called a “little white lie” or even tell parts of the truth, so it is easier on you, instead of just telling the whole truth? We all have had those situations at some point in our life or will in the near future.   

Abraham was faced with the same type of situation. As they journeyed south, we read,   

“Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.” Genesis 20:2  

Abraham was concerned that because this king would want Sarah that he would kill him to take her. The truth was she was his sister on one side of the family (I know weird), but she was also his wife, which is what he was trying to hide. (See Genesis 20:12) Also, Sarah must have been a hottie because remember at this time she was in her 90s :). We even read that this was a planned-out thing,   

“And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is your kindness that you should do for me: in every place, wherever we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”’ ”” Genesis 20:13  

Abraham’s heart, Sarah’s heart, had planned out what they would do to manipulate the situation. To tell a half truth, or that “little white lie” that made it easier for them. But the Disciple of Jesus (apprentice of Jesus isn’t called to easy, the Disciple of Jesus is called to a life of faith and trust. Don’t plan out in your heart how to get by in life, plan in your heart how to thrive in Christ. Jesus didn’t take the easy path, and neither should we. Go ahead, right now, make the decision that you are not going to manipulate or say things just to make things easier for yourself. Commit to following Jesus no matter what it costs. It could be apologizing for misleading someone; it could be facing someone with boldness and humility in doing the right thing no matter what it cost and your reputation. That’s integrity, that’s being an apprentice of Jesus, a disciple of Christ and it’s what we are each called to walk in.   

- To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.