Speak Up

[The devil] has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him.

“Mom, can we talk?” Ling’s heart pounded as her mom paused and looked up from washing the dishes.

“What’s up, sweetie?” Mom asked as she reached for the towel to wipe her hands.

“I think my friend Bella needs help,” Ling whispered, starting to cry. “But she asked me to keep what she told me a secret.”

“Oh, honey, let’s talk.” Ling’s mom gave her a hug, and they sat down at the kitchen counter together. “Remember how we promised not to keep secrets if someone might get hurt?”

Ling nodded. “That’s what I told Bella. And no one can help her if they never know.”

The devil loves to lie to us and to our friends, making us feel alone, ashamed, and unloved. He may convince us that we need to keep scary thoughts and feelings secret or trick us into thinking we are the only one who feels that way. But there are some secrets that should not be secrets. When a friend asks us to keep a secret like that, we may feel trapped, because we want to be a good friend and keep our word, but we also want to tell an adult we love and trust so our friend can get help.

The best way to stop Satan’s lies is to tell someone who knows God’s truth. A parent, grandma or grandpa, aunt or uncle, pastor, teacher, or another adult you trust is the perfect person to help because they can remind us of the truth. If a friend tells you a secret that is dangerous or makes you uncomfortable, find an adult you love and ask for advice. It’s important to share those kinds of secrets, because that’s how we reject the devil’s lies and choose truth instead.

Things to Think About

• Who is an adult you can trust to talk to when you or your friend is struggling with a secret that feels dangerous or uncomfortable?
• Are you keeping a secret that needs to be shared with an adult you trust and love? Go talk to them today.

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Make a plan with a trusted adult for what to do when you learn a secret that might be dangerous, and agree on what you will tell anyone who asks you to keep a secret.