Honesty and Truth

(Psalm 119-28, 32 KJV) My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame. 

I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

Everyone is born with the Adamic nature, therefore lying and deceiving is a natural part of one’s DNA that only needs to be developed.

Every baby starts out in life with the ability to communicate through crying. When they are hungry or need to be changed or even when they need comforting, all they have to do is cry and their needs are usually met.

Crying is supposed to be the starting point for a baby to learn how to communicate their needs. As they grow older the parents are supposed to teach them a more age appropriate way of communicating. If these ways are not taught, then what was a legitimate way for a baby to communicate turns out to be their first lesson in manipulation. This can ultimately develop patterns in the child such as bad attitudes, anger, and tantrums in order for them to get their own way.

When it comes to potty training or even teaching a child their numbers parents do not seem to have a problem. However, many parents seem to struggle a bit when it comes to teaching their child the needed communication lessons that build character. For example; a baby crying for what it needs is one thing, but when they learn that crying will also get them what they want...then that is another thing. This “wanting type” of crying is the beginning stages of developing their ability to manipulate.

Honesty and truth are not inherited behaviors. A person has to work at it in order to learn them.

I never considered myself to be a “comfortable liar,” but as a young teenager I did go through the manipulation stage. At that time I lived with a wonderful couple in East Texas who owned a dairy farm. The man was commonly known by all in our small community as Uncle Leon.

When I first got my drivers license I asked Uncle Leon if I could borrow his car so I could go to the movie on Saturday night. He agreed and so I drove the thirteen miles to the next small town where the movie was.

However, the next morning Uncle Leon called me in and asked, “How could you possibly use a full tank of gas and only drive thirteen miles?” My response was, “That beats all I have ever seen, there must be a hole in the tank.”  I knew I had been driving his car all over creation so I came up with another plan.

The next Saturday night after the movie I slipped back on the farm with the lights off and eased up to Uncle Leon’s gas tank. This tank was where he kept gas for all the farm equipment…and I filled his car up with his own gas.

I was called in again the next morning by Uncle Leon and asked, “How it is possible that you can now drive to the movie and back and not use any gas at all?” My response was, “Miracles never cease.”

Uncle Leon’s next move was to check the speedometer miles before I left home the next Saturday and again when I returned. My next move was to undo the speedometer cable and hook it back up after I had driven the allotted miles.

Uncle Leon’s next move was then to paint the connection on the speedometer cable with red fingernail polish so he would know if I broke the seal by unscrewing it. My next move was to buy my own red fingernail polish to repaint the broken seal.

I am not sure if Uncle Leon ever figured out why his tires did not last very long anymore. On the other hand maybe Uncle Leon did figure out that the reason he had to buy more gas for the farm and more tires for the car was because I had been stealing his gas and driving the wheels off his car.

I have learned over the years that love really does cover a multitude of sins even though it might encourage the development of manipulation and deception.

Father,

 Most of us are probably guilty of spoiling those we love. We also understand that by doing so we take a chance on making things a little harder on them as they transition forward in life. Forgive us Lord and help us to live a disciplined life so we can be better examples to those we love, thus discouraging deception.

Amen