How can we avoid deceitful actions like Jeroboam's in our daily lives? The Setting: Jeroboam’s Deception in 1 Kings 14:2 “Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Please arise and disguise yourself, so that you will not be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam; go to Shiloh…’ ” Jeroboam’s plan looks small—just a change of clothes—but it masks a larger heart problem: unwillingness to face God’s truth openly. His disguise teaches us how easily we justify deceit when we fear exposure. Spotting the Heart Behind Deceit Jeroboam’s actions spring from attitudes Scripture warns against: • Fear of consequences (Proverbs 29:25) • Desire to keep power (James 3:14–16) • Doubt that God will deal graciously with confessed sin (1 John 1:9) If those motives go unchecked, the costume becomes just a symptom of deeper disloyalty to the Lord. Roots That Feed Deceptive Choices 1. Compromise in private worship—Jeroboam had already set up golden calves (1 Kings 12:28–30). 2. Ignoring God’s prior warnings—prophets had confronted him (1 Kings 13), yet he persisted. 3. Surrounding himself with enablers—he appointed priests “from every class of people” (1 Kings 12:31), avoiding voices that might correct him. When these roots exist in us, deceitful acts soon follow. Practical Guards Against Deception Today • Stay transparent before God. Begin and end each day with Psalm 139:23–24 on your lips: “Search me, O God…” • Cultivate truthful speech. Memorize Ephesians 4:25—“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor.” • Welcome accountability. Invite a mature believer to ask hard questions (Hebrews 3:13). • Keep short accounts with sin. Confess immediately. Refuse the “small disguise” that leads to bigger lies (Proverbs 28:13). • Anchor identity in Christ, not image. Colossians 3:3 reminds us, “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” so there’s no reputation worth hiding behind. • Measure success by faithfulness, not outcomes. Jeroboam feared losing his kingdom; Jesus calls us to seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Living Differently: Walking in the Light When we face temptation to shade the truth—alter a tax form, exaggerate a résumé, cover up a failure—remember Jeroboam’s disguise did not fool the Lord. God still spoke, judged, and loved. By choosing openness, we step into the freedom promised in John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” |
    |