Truth

Truth

The person who made the idol never stops to reflect, “Why, it’s just a block of wood! I burned half of it for heat and used it to bake my bread and roast my meat. How can the rest of it be a god? Should I bow down to worship a chunk of wood?” The poor, deluded fool feeds on ashes. He is trusting something that can give him no help at all. Yet he cannot bring himself to ask, “Is this thing, this idol that I’m holding in my hand, a lie?”

Isaiah 44:19-20

If we want our children to be people of truth when they’re adults, we’re wise to begin teaching the difference between truth and falsehood early on. The life stories we share and the way we discuss them have a profound influence on our children—probably more than we’ll ever realize.

For example, without using a name, my husband and I spoke to our young children about a man we knew who lied about his expense account and lost his job. We wanted them to understand that lying is wrong and that it brings consequences. On another occasion, I had a lunchtime discussion with an older son about a false religion. I had just read an article describing a woman’s excitement about the opening of a local Hindu temple. According to the article, the Hindi gods were brought in, set up on elaborate shrines, and had life breathed into them. To my surprise, my son had just been reading the above verses from Isaiah the day before, so the timing of our discussion was especially poignant.

Opportunities to differentiate between what’s true and what’s false are all around us. It’s wise for moms to look for them and take advantage of teachable moments. “The walks and talks we have with our two-year-olds in red boots,” said Edith Hunter, “have a great deal to do with the values they will cherish as adults.”

Father,

Please help us to discern between truth and error. Please help us to snatch up opportunities to discuss your truth with our children. Amen.