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Moment Of Truth

This week I was able to catch this show on TV. For those who know me that’s pretty good, since I don’t have cable. Anyhow, I would like to write a post on some observations I made while watching “Moment of Truth”.

The Premise of the show:

The contestant is asked a series of questions. They must answer truthfully because their voice is being filter through lie detector software. If the software decides the answer is true, you can press on. If it detects a lie, you lose everything. There are no 3 strikes here, 1 lie and you’re out. The contestant’s family is on the sideline watching this all take place and has the option to press this button to skip just 1 question they don’t want to hear the answer to. Oh by the way, every time you answer a question truthfully you get more money and you can stop at any time or risk all the money for the next question.

One this particular episode the contestant was a young (about 30ish) female and married. Her husband, parents and two sisters were watching from the side. I won’t go into detail about all of the questions but they started with simple ones such as, ‘have you ever told someone you liked their hair when you didn’t?’ As the jackpot climbed the questions got more personal. Soon they were recalling her stealing money from her job and how she got caught. She stayed truthful despite how much it hurt. As I watched the jackpot increase I knew the questions would get worse. Of course she could have stopped at anytime. As the questions began to be directed at her relationships, she had to know that the skeletons in her closet were about to be exposed. As she answered question after question she began revealing (in front of her husband, family, and America) how she is in love with her ex boyfriend. They asked, “Were you in love with someone else on your wedding day?” and the even the ex came on stage to ask “Do you think you should be married to me?”.  These questions began to take their toll on her husband. Oddly enough she seemed to care less as she was revealing her true self. Remember, this is for money so I guess that motivated her.

The ultimate betrayal was revealed when they finally asked a question about her marital faithfulness. She answered honestly to reveal her adultery and therefore increased her prize to $150,000. Her husband was visibly shaken and the whole thing was very disturbing. After everyone settled down she decided to continue for more money.

What seemed to be the real moment of truth had arrived. The true test of honesty. The next question was “Do you think you are a good person?”

Now for about an hour America watched as she aired out all of her dirty laundry, revealing sin after sin, dishonesty, adultery and beyond, just to win all of this money. One would think the answer to this question would be obvious. She thought briefly and answered, “yes I do think I’m a good person.” My jaw dropped.

This all reminded me of Proverbs 20:6 where it says that most men will proclaim their own goodness (paraphrase). I’ve heard Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias say that the depravity of man is the most observable truth and the most denied fact. I guess it’s easier to hear our iniquity coming out of our mouth but when it comes to truthfully evaluating what’s inside ourself and judging ourself we have a problem. Needless to say the software detected a lie and she lost the game, i.e. no money. She then pleaded with the host, saying “But I do think I’m a good person.”

The host then replied, “I’m sure you do, but somewhere inside of you that’s not what you really think.” The conscience may have been seared, but it was obviously not dead.

It’s only when we realize we’ve fallen short of God’s standard, and desire His forgiveness that God can begin to mend us. I thought this was a great example of how people are blind to their own sin until the sin is exposed, and then they discover in their own heart that they are really “desperately wicked”. I was once like that, but I found the cure and His name is Jesus.