Dishonesty

Research shows that an overwhelming 96 percent of young kids lie. This statistic isn’t totally surprising if you spend a lot of time around kids. Kids lie to avoid getting in trouble, to impress others, to get what they want and sometimes for no true reason at all. You may have kids in your family who stretch the truth or even lie straight to your face. In today’s story, Ananias and Sapphira face extreme consequences for dishonesty. Definitely don’t use this Bible story as a warning that God will strike kids down for lying. This was a unique circumstance. Avoid shaming your kid or calling them a liar. Calmly and privately let the kid know you are aware of their untruth. Encourage them with your love and support and remind them why honesty is so important for building trust and honoring God.

Here’s how we discussed this topic and how you can discuss it at home: 

Discuss: Do you think people in our world lie often? Is that a big deal?

Discuss: What are some things kids might lie about?

Discuss: What do you think God has to say about that?

Say: You may have heard someone say that a lie doesn’t hurt anyone. That wasn’t true in today’s story! God doesn’t typically strike us dead when we lie, which is a good thing because we all are dishonest from time to time. However, dishonesty does have consequences. We can hurt others. People may feel they can’t trust us if they can’t believe what we say. God’s way is best for us. He knows that being honest will help us avoid trouble and hurt in the long run. Psalm 34:13 reminds us: Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.