One of the last paddlings I got from my dad came when I was about 11 or 12 years old. We were at the dinner table and my dad asked me point blank if I did something that he had told me not to do. Well, I very confidently said, “Oh no sir I did not.”
My dad then turned to my cousin, who was sitting right by me and said, “Hey did Iva Ruth do this thing that I told her not to do?”
And my cousin, who did not have my back, said very quickly, “Oh yes sir she did. I was with her!!!”
When he said that, I knew what was fixing to happen and at that time my dad said, “Okay let’s go.”
I’m sure you can imagine what happened next. But after I got my punishment, my dad made sure that I knew why I was in trouble. The reason was not because I did the thing he didn’t want me to, but that I lied about it, and I lied about it in front of someone else who now knows I’m not a truthful person.
You see the biggest thing is not the lie, the biggest thing is speaking the truth no matter what. Now no matter if you are a kid, a teen, or an adult, one of the most important things someone could say about you is that you are a truthful person. You may say why is that important to me? Well the biggest reason is we live in a world that is full of deceptions and lies and when we know the truth and speak the truth we are able to withstand those lies and deceptions we may come across.
Ephesians 4:15 says, “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the head, that is Christ”.
Wherever you are in life you can be a truth teller and as you speak truth in love, you become more and more like Christ. Now it is not easy because truth isn’t always what people want to hear, but you will be rewarded by choosing to speak truth over everything.
So, this week I pray you speak truth at home, in your classroom, or wherever you find yourself. I also pray you seek out truth speakers who will build you up and encourage you.
Remember Ms. Faulk loves you, but Jesus loves you more.
~ Ms. Faulk
