“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25, NIV)

Honesty is such a valuable character trait. When we are honest with ourselves and others we thrive. Secrecy and denial lead us down paths of brokenness, heartache and division. What I discover is how often we lie to ourselves.

Why would we ever lie to ourselves? In order to continue doing those things which we know aren’t beneficial to us. What an awesome God we serve though! How He loves us and pursues us in such personal ways! However, we can run from Him, ignore Him and allow ourselves to stay in darkness. The choice is always ours. I am always grateful in big moments like this when the Lord reveals Himself and calls me to deeper waters. It is in these personal moments of growth that I am stirred to have deeper conversations with my own children about how they might be relating to or running from God. 

Having an ongoing, transparent and real dialogue with our children is vital. Surely, they are curious about the things of the world and even things in the spiritual realm. Are we engaging them in invigorating conversations where we challenge them and are real with them about the struggles of this life? Your children will find what they are looking for, but will it be from a standpoint of truth or lies? We know there is only one truth. It is the devil who desires to confuse the sons of men and leave them wandering in a wayward direction.

I encourage you today to be frank with your children, to stir up conversations about matters that are important to the heart and soul. We only have our children in our care for a brief time, then they are out in the world following whatever they have come to believe is right and true. Don’t waste these important years to learn who they are and how they relate to their world while guiding them into truths you have learned to be most beneficial in your own life.