HIDING A BAD REPORT CARD

An eleven-year-old Alabama boy faked his own kidnapping in order to hide a bad report card. He told his parents an armed man took him from school at gunpoint and threatened to kill him. The lad claimed he escaped by jumping out of the assailant’s car, but was unable to grab the book bag containing his report card. Eventually the boy confessed to inventing the story. (Source: Yahoo News Sept.14, 2009, anon) 

Sometimes in life “the cure is worse than the disease.” This youngster certainly discovered the truth of that axiom. When his perfect plan to cover up his bad grades was exposed, the consequences he experienced from lying were no doubt worse than facing the punishment for his original crime.

We chuckle at the lad’s creativity, but how often are we guilty of the same thing? We hide a bad report card from our boss, spouse, or even God by minimizing our mistakes. Or we blow up at someone, then actually have the nerve to blame them. Like our original parents in Eden, through the centuries, we’ve found endless ways of hiding bad report cards. Our culture reeks with the stench of finger-pointing. It’s always someone else’s fault.

Cover-ups can be deadly. Consider David. The king was on his palace deck one night and observed a woman bathing. Rather than looking away, he sent for her, even after discovering she was the wife of a friend (2 Samuel 11:1-4). Later, after learning she was pregnant, David covered up their adultery by having the woman’s husband murdered (vv. 5-27). As heinous as their sin was, the cover-up was far worse, with devastating consequences.

Hebrews 4:13 states, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” On one level, that seems scary. But consider this: God sees and knows everything we do—all the heinous acts we try to hide; all our dirty secrets; all the skeletons in our spiritual closet. But God stands ready to forgive us the moment we ask (1 John 1:9). He wipes our slates clean—as if it never happened. And that’s really good news. Because we weren’t intended to hobble through life carrying the burden of a bad report card. Rather than justifying ourselves, minimizing our actions, or making excuses, come clean with God and experience the joys of his forgiveness.

Principle: Trying to cover up our sins is worse than coming clean.

Ponder

• How do you feel knowing God sees everything you do, but stands ready to forgive you?

• When have you discovered that trying to cover up sin is worse than coming clean and facing the consequences?

Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 1 Samuel 11-12.

Lord, I confess that I am a sinner. I bring my sins to you, knowing you have promised to forgive me. Forgive me for the times I’ve tried to cover up my wrongs.

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