Do These Pants Make My Butt Look Big?

And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” 1 Kings 22:8

Husbands, I assume you know this, but if you’re wife ever asks you if an article of clothing makes her backside appear large, there’s only one answer. And this isn’t the time to try to be cute. If you find yourself tempted to say, “Let’s not blame the pants for how big your butt looks”, stop and bite your tongue. The only answer, is, “No. Of course not.” For your own sake, you don’t even need to look. You simply need to say no.

Wives will object that I’m encouraging dishonesty, insisting that they really want to know. But this simply isn’t a time when we can consider honesty. And I get that. When I look in the mirror, I stand just right, so that an article of clothing doesn’t make me look as fat as I am. Then, when I happen to walk by a mirror and I’m not posing just right, I see myself for how others see me, and I’m annoyed. I was just fine living with the deception of the just-right-position in front of a mirror. I didn’t honestly want to know the unpleasant reality.

Sometimes we’d prefer to believe a lie about ourselves. This is what happened in today’s passage. In the story, King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat got together to consider joining forces against Syria. King Jehoshaphat suggested to King Ahab that they consult his prophets to inquire of God’s will in their endeavor. So, Ahab consulted his 400 prophets, who unanimously proclaimed that it was God’s will to attack Syria. Jehoshaphat however, wanted a second opinion. Is there not here another prophet of the LORD of whom we may inquire (1 Kings 22:7)? Ahab reluctantly mentioned the prophet Micaiah but was loath to ask him because Micaiah never had said anything nice about Ahab. Ahab preferred his prophets to be yes-men, who simply told the king exactly what he wanted to hear.

Again, I get that. When I’m wandering from God, I don’t want to be around those who point out my sin. Rather, I’d prefer to be surrounded by those who say only nice things about me, whether true or not. In recovery though, as I learn to seek honesty, I must choose to surround myself with those who will ask the tough questions. How are you doing with gluttony, lust, and drug cravings? And I must associate with those who will be honest with me, even when that honesty is painful. I may prefer the lie, but the lie doesn’t help me stay sober. So, even though it may be uncomfortable, I must daily seek the truth about myself.