Week 6!

Challenge:  

Lately I have seen how my young children are cleverly deceptive. My three year old was in my room and as she was walking out I asked her what was in her hand because I suspected she had my phone (which isn't allowed). She puts one hand behind her back and held up her other hand and told me which toy she was holding. Not thinking much of it, I let her go only later realized she had taken my phone. Havana hid it behind her back when I asked her what she was in her hand. Cleverly deceptive. Then, my 19 month old was playing in the dog's water bowl with his favorite toy  ("buddy"). When I scolded him he looked at me, held up his toy and exclaimed, "Buddy water." He was trying to tell me that he wasn't playing in the dog's water bowl, but only his buddy was. Cleverly deceptive. These occurrences have gotten me thinking about my own life. Am I ever cleverly deceptive towards my children?

I doubt any parents sets out to lie to their children, but along the way it is easier to simply dismiss the truth and cover it up with a "white lie." Examples of this in my own life have been answering my child's "what's that?" question with "oh nothing."  Cleverly deceptive. I've also seen it played out with extended family when I tell Havana that we can't watch a show at her grandmother's house and yet her grandma comes along and says "because my DVD player isn't working" to help ease her disappointment. Cleverly deceptive. Jason and I have always said that we never wanted to lie to our children, but in the day to day living it is sometimes easy to answer "I don't know", "Oh nothing", "we don't have fruit snacks right now", or something similar in order to avoid the entire truth for whatever reason (lack of time to explain, trying to avoid a meltdown, etc). So, my challenge this week is to never be cleverly deceptive towards my children. This will require me to think before i speak and to be mindful of my answers which, all too often, are answered while I'm on auto-pilot. I will also prayerfully ask the Lord other areas of my life this might be applicable that I'm not even aware of yet. 

Last week's devotion was on not asking our children to do something we are unwilling to do ourselves and just a few week ago we prayed for our children to be truth tellers. So this week, I want to pray for myself exactly what I prayed for them!

Father God, I know that lying is Satan's native tongue (John 8:44) and I pray that I will live a life that is the complete opposite of his influence. May I always tell the whole truth - even when it is difficult. I pray that I would not give into white lies or partial truths. Instead, enable me to understand that You always want me to be truthful (Exodus 20:16). May I rely on You to give me the strength to continually speak the truth (Ephesians 4:25). Weave the power of being truthful into my soul so that I will be faithful in keeping my tongue from evil and their lips from speaking lies (Psalm 34:13). I pray in the name of Jesus that I will be an honest parent who give You glory in all I say. Amen.

For the Love of My Children: 

Precious Jesus, thank You for friendships. Thank you for those certain people in our lives who love us at all times (Proverbs 17:17). I pray that my children would be blessed with a great support system of God-fearing friends. Please help my child desire deep fellowship with Bible believers... friends who will keep them accountable and help them grow deeper in their faith (Proverbs 27:17). Help my children be intentional about walking with those who are wise in spiritual matters (Proverbs 13:20). While I do pray that my children will be witnesses to their unsaved friends; may they never desire the company of wicked men (Proverbs 24:1) or surround themselves with only those people who turn away from You, the living God (Hebrews 3:12). Please give my children the courage to be Godly friends to those around them.  Grant my children at least one faithful friend whose friendship will be similar to the friendship of David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:17).  Lastly, I pray, that my children would know You are the one and only friend who will stick closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24) and that they would love You and have faith in You so to be called a friend of God (James 2:23). Amen.