The Mama Files: Truth

Because of my children's ages I've been dealing with truthfulness quite often lately. I was recently disciplining one of them and explaining how important it is to be someone people can trust. When I received the one question children seem to love to ask the most "Why?" My example to this particular child was. "First of all God tells us to be truthful, even if we know we're going to get in trouble because of it. But also I want you to be truthful so that I know I can trust what you say."

This made me wonder, am I a person that is completely truthful and whose word can be trusted? I like to think that I am, but in all honesty sometimes my passive, easy going nature gets in the way. I do not like confrontation AT. ALL. Sometimes I find myself shying away from saying what I know to be true, either spiritually or morally, because I'm afraid it's going to change my friendship with someone, or because that person is going to get mad at me, or simply because I don't think that person is going to listen to me in the end.

But you know what? That's not really my problem, is it?! I'm not responsible for someone else's reactions. I'm only commanded to give them all the facts.

Ephesians 6:11-20

v. 11

Put on the whole armor of God (belt of truth v. 14) that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

v. 19-20

...that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.

I was recently at the grocery store with Shoshannah and the cashier struck up a conversation about how old Sho was, etc. She then went on to tell that her best friend was pregnant and due at the end of the month. She then continued to tell me that her friend was only 16 and a junior in high school, so she would be missing out on a lot her senior year. All I said was "Oh, that's too bad". While on my drive home I was thinking about what I could've said to the cashier but didn't. I could've said "Wow, you need to be really understanding to your friend this coming year. Because she's really going to need someone that's there for her when she can't reciprocate the kindness" or even simply "I'll definitely be praying for her, she's going to have a hard road ahead of her". But instead all I said was "Oh, that's too bad".

I don't want to be a person who has to say "I should have said" anymore.