Honesty

How are you when it comes to the issue of honesty? Would you consider yourself a truthful person? This month in children’s worship we will be talking a lot about honesty.  As most parents know, children have the uncanny knack of saying what’s on their mind (even if it is hurtful to others.)  A parent once old me a story about his 3 year old son which I think illustrates children’s’ ability to speak their mind.  The boy was riding a coin-operated horse in front of a store.  As he was enjoying the experience, a woman walked by and said to the boy, “That looks like fun! Can I ride too?”  The boy quickly replied, “No! You’re too fat.”  Hmmm, as we talk about honesty this month we aren’t trying to get kids to say anything and everything they think and feel--we are not talking about just saying what comes to mind but living a life characterized by truthfulness. Hopefully, as a result of this month’s teachings, our kids will be come to understand what being truthful does for their life relationally and emotionally. As we talk about honesty we are going to say that honesty is choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. We are talking about honesty not just because to relates to the core of our relationships, but because God reminds us over and over again throughout his word about the importance of a life lived in truth.

So, it’s important that we are honest because when we’re dishonest we hurt the people we care about and ultimately destroy ourselves.  When we’re honest we build friendships and relationships in the right kind of way.  Ideally our kids will grow up realizing that for the sake of their own relationships and their own life they need to be honest.