PONDER THIS

Christians are called to lead by example. For parents, that means confessing and asking for forgiveness when you’ve done wrong. Let your children know you are a truth speaker.

You can fail in many ways and still come out fairly good with your children. But if you fail to keep your word, to keep your promises, or to tell the truth to your children, I promise you that your home is on the road to disaster. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for parents to tell the truth.

Do your children know you tell the truth? Do you ever teach children to lie for you? If we teach them to lie for us, we should not punish them when they lie to us. I actually heard about a mother who told her son, “Johnny, if you don’t stop lying, there’s a green man that lives on the moon who’s going to catch you and make you pick up sticks the rest of your life.” Why would we expect our children to tell the truth based on the threat of a lie? Simply live the Word of God. Moms and dads, tell the truth and keep your word.

• How has a lie affected your perception of someone? How did it shape your relationship?
• How can you prioritize truth-telling in your life?

PRACTICE THIS

Pray and ask God to help you value truth and keep your word to others. Consider anywhere you have lied and what you might do to rectify that.

Truth or Consequences

Exodus 20:16

In this message on the ninth commandment, “You shall not bear false witness,” Adrian Rogers discusses how to teach our children to live truthfully.

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God’s Name Is Holy

God’s name and honor are at stake by the way we live.

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