Lying to God??

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Kathrin

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I often have conversations with God, sometimes also with myself, and they may be very casual. Sometimes I’ll say (think) something like, “ok, this was the last nibble I had before dinner”, or I’ll hear God/my inner voice say something and I’ll think “ok”.
And then sometimes I am tempted and say have another nibble anyway, coming up with an excuse why I should be allowed this anyway.
And then guilt strikes - was I lying to God now??

Do other people have such inner conversations too?
How severe is such a “lie”?

Kathrin
 
That is not so much a lie as a good intention. But we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Instead of looking for excuses for that one more nibble, leave the room and offer NOT NIBBLING up for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It never worked for me, but try it.
 
Kathrin, a past post indicated that you eat quite frugally and are if anything a bit underweight. What is this business about feeling guilty for wanting another nibble? I can assure you that you absolutely cannot lie to God. He knows even the number of hairs on your head. Could you mean self-deception? Why would you do that?.Besides you have the right to change your mind, so why would you think you are lying? 🤷 .
 
The nibbling per se was not the problem. It is just because I had had that inner conversation. It’s similar to when you give something up for Lent. You decide not to eat chocolate. Ok, chocolate per se is not sinful, but if you go against your intentions you feel guilty, right?
This thought has occurred to me before. Even if it is something very trivial, if I have an inner conversation with God and I tell Him I’d do it one way, if I change my mind again isn’t that like lying?
But of course you are right. You can’t really lie to God. That makes a lot of sense. I mean, it is natural to change your mind, and I wouldn’t want to stop talking to God because I am afraid I might change my mind later!

Thanks!

Kathrin
 
I don’t think changing you mind constitutes lying. If it did, none of us could ever change our minds!
 
Wow, I wrote this post so long ago and was looking for it today because almost the same thing happened to me again.

It was about nibbling again. I think sometimes it can be very addictive.
I had kind of agreed with God that I wouldn’t (would try to not? Wouldn’t at all? not have another nibble until I have coffee with my parents later. Already I had kind of cheated twice, having another little piece of bread and half an apple.
Now the other half apple was still lying there and I was a little hungry and thirsty still (didn’t have much for dinner. But that’s besides the point, the point is the “lying” part). So I just ate it, kind of agreeing with God that it was ok, but at the same time feeling that was just me making excuses now.

What do you think, honestly?

And if it was indeed wrong, would that be a mortal sin?

And if not, is it ok to just say I’m sorry!! to God, say a prayer, and intend to do betetr next time? I have this feeling sometimes that I need to punish myself, as some of you know. I know it’s wrong right?

Kathrin
 
Kathrin said:
What do you think, honestly?
Click to expand...
Honestly? I don’t think the issue is your relationship with God, I think the issue is your relationship with food. God really doesn’t care if you munch on Cheetos all afternoon, God wants you to have a healthy appetite and a healthy approach to all you do – including food.
 
Kathrin, mortal sins are things like abortion, murder, arson, theft of something valuable or a large amount of money, adultery, fornication, failure to worship God, wishing serious harm to another person, assault, perjury, tax fraud, pornography, etc. They are things that seriously harm another person or give great disrespect to God.

Do you HONESTLY think whether or not you eat half an apple when you are hungry falls into this category? I know your question was about the lying part, but first of all, changing your mind is NOT lying, and secondly, the subject, half an apple, is too trivial to be sinful.

At the very worst, it would be an imperfection, not even a venial sin, unless it were between meals on a fast day, that is, Ash Wednesday or Good Friday.

Have you forgotten that God loves you? He knows you’re hungry. He knows you are sometimes weak in your resolve to deny yourself. This kind of thing, changing your mind, does not separate you from Him.

Betsy
 
Thank you for clarifying this about mortal sins… And yes, yes, of course I know that God loves me, loves us!! How could I imagine that He might be somebody that would judge me over such a technicality???

Maybe I am more afraid of feeling guilty than I am of judgment on an issue like that. Which of course proves that I don^t really believe I would receive hard judgement for it, because then I would be VERY afraid (that is, if I really committed a mortal sin and knew it. Ok, but then I’d just go to confession and try to start over again, I would still believe that God loves me, because He IS LOVE. 🙂

I think sometimes I think I need to be perfect.
Well, but wee ARE called to be perfect. But maybe it depends on the definition of perfect?
Perfect in love, that is important, right?!! :newidea:

Kathrin
 
Kathrin, I understand exactly where you’re coming from. Of course you know this small thing is not mortal, but the point is you feel you made a very small sacrifice for God and you backed out of it. It’s the point that you wanted to do something for Him, albeit small and irrelevant to anyone else in the entire world, but you wanted to do it for Him and you didn’t.

This is how we grow in virtue. We can do all the small niggling little things that really don’t matter, but do them with great love. Self denial, even with half an apple, when self-denial for our Lord, is commendable. So you failed in this small resolution that doesn’t matter to anyone but you and it matters to God because you did it out of love for Him. Like someone said earlier, next time you’re tempted, walk out of the room and offer it up for the souls in purgatory.

But better yet, just maybe make the small resolution to only eat when you’re hungry and drink when thirsty. This way you’re keeping yourself healthy and at the same time, giving up something pleasurable when your body is not requiring that you eat it.

Glad
 
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