“Yes, he lied about it. I’m sure of that, and can prove it.”
That’s a pretty serious matter, to call a man a liar. Doubly
serious if you can prove it on him. It is very, very bad to be
lying about anything whatsoever.
But I’m convinced that lying around is almost as bad as lying
about. I said, “You were not out at church yesterday. What were
you doing?”
“I was just lying around.” An excuse--offered as a reason--that
I’ve heard scores of times.
Late to get out of bed Sunday morning. A very late breakfast.
Everything starts behind, and never catches up. The men are
lying around unshaved, unbathed, undrest. They look bad, and
probably feel worse. An unclean skin and dirty clothes are not
good to rest in.
Maybe the women are lying around with hair unbrushed, and
dresses and aprons showing the stains of week-day work. Rather
frowsy. If they don’t feel any better than they look, they are
some points below normal.
Just lying around, not at church, not fit to be seen, not
feeling much respect for oneself. Pretty low down, not much
above the dirt level. Doing no good, getting no good out of the
blest day.
Does plain lying about things hurt one more than this lying
around on Sunday? It makes one almost trifling.
Don’t do it. On Sunday morning, get up, wash up, dress up,
shave up, shine up, go up to church, think up toward God and
the highest and best. The day will be worth much more to you.
You’ll feel better Monday morning, better rested, better fitted
for the work of the new week. Quit lying around, and try
it.--_Presbyterian Advance._
(1940)