Truths from a Tot

Peggy B.

Sometimes God teaches us lessons in unexpected ways! Sometimes those lessons are humbling. I was walking with a friend the other day and was reminded of this story from my life. I thought of you!

When our daughter Bethany was little (maybe 4-ish, she’s 19 now), I was snitching a piece of chocolate. (Why is everything about chocolate?!) It was close to dinner time, and I definitely didn’t want to spoil her dinner, so I snitched a piece when I thought she wasn’t looking! Of course, she wandered in with ‘what do you have in your mouth mommy?’’ Good mommy that I am, I told her something (which I have conveniently forgotten after these many years) but I DID NOT tell her it was chocolate.

When she walked up close to me, she could smell it on my breath and I was caught. You know what bothered her the most? She was bothered that I’d lied to her. Since I’d been caught, I had to confess and ask her forgiveness. Talk about feeling humbled…WOW.

Life went on and I completely forgot about the incident. It wasn’t too long before something came up to which I replied ‘’I would never lie to you!’’. You guessed it, she chimed up with, ‘’but you did before!’’ Ugh! What an unexpected chastisement. I remember feeling that ‘’I’M THE WORST MOTHER IN THE WORLD’’ feeling. Of course I explained to her that we all sin and that I had asked God to forgive me after I asked her, and that I had promised Him that I wouldn’t do it again.

Over the years there were several times that I was blessed with the “but mom you did before” response, the last time she was in high school! Wow, sin has a long half-life doesn’t it? Even though I have not lied to her since, not only does she remember it, but I believe it shook her faith in me.

Retelling that story started me thinking again about integrity. God wants our words to be truth, our dealings with others to be upright and our thoughts to be pure. When we choose not to be obedient, there is a cost. We can’t know in advance what the cost will be or who it will affect, but sin always comes with a cost!

I was reminded of Psalm 19:14:

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

I want to encourage you to consider the words of your mouth and the thoughts of your heart. Ask yourself “Do I live with integrity before everyone with whom I come in contact?” There’s no such thing as a white lie, or a partial truth. There is no such thing as being mostly honest. God asks for our best! I want to give Him that!

Lord, my desire is to live a life of integrity so that I can bring glory to you. Prompt my heart when I am tempted, for any reason, to lapse into sin. Please continue to use other people to challenge and encourage me in this area. Amen