Integrity

Is it okay to tell a lie once in a while?

A lie is a lie, once you've compromised the truth, it becomes a lie.
Satan is known as the father of lies (John.8:44), the moment you start to lie, you yield yourself to satan as an instrument of unrighteousness. (Rom.6:16)
Always let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no"(Matt.5:37). Anything beyond this comes from satan the father of lies.
You might say it’s only a little lie that will not hurt anyone. What you fail to realise is that once you start with little lies, it becomes easier to go into bigger ones. To cover up the "little lies", you have to tell more lies.
The Message Version Bible describes such a person as "These liars have lied so well and for so long that they’ve lost their capacity for truth."(1Tim.4:2)
Every lie is meant to deceive and deception is wrong in the sight of God (Lev.19:11).
Proverbs20:17(GNT) says "What you get by dishonesty you may enjoy like the finest food, but sooner or later it will be like a mouthful of sand."
Have you thought about the consequences when you are found out?
You will be considered to be a liar and a person that cannot be trusted. You cannot be called a person of integrity.

If the lie will not hurt anyone, why tell it?
Is it worth your reputation?
Can you be an effective witness for Christ?
That little lie can only help you temporarily, because God has said in His Word "For we cannot do a thing against the truth, but only for it."(2Cor.13:8 GNT)
God hates lies that He said in Prov.6:16-17 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood...”
King David in Psalm101:3-8 talks about all the effort he was putting into becoming a man of integrity. In verse7b he said "...he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight."
Take some time out to look up these verses and you will be blessed: Prov.6:26-19; Prov.24:28; Prov.19:5, 9; Col.3:9.