When I was 10 my dad took the opportunity to teach me a lesson on integrity. Here’s what went down. A little boy who lived down the street from me told me he wished that he could have a Babe Ruth autographed baseball. I told him that I had one that I would sale him for $10. He said he had gotten $10 for birthday and that he would buy it. So I ran home, got a little league baseball out of the garage, signed Babe Ruth on the ball and took it back to his house and got my ten bucks. Everyone was happy.
Later that evening my dad got a phone call from the little boy’s dad. I heard one side of the conversation but didn’t know who was on the other line. The conversation ended like this. “Really? Oh my. Well, I will take care of it. Thanks for calling.” Then he hung up the phone and stared at me with that “I ain’t happy” look. I knew I was in trouble but didn’t know why. Dad said son, did you sell an autographed baseball to Larry? I responded with a shrug and then said “yes sir.” “And did you sign Babe Ruth’s name?” “ Yes sir.” “And did you know that what you did was illegal and dishonest?” “Illegal? Dishonest? Seriously?” Dad said come on let’s go get in the car; we are going to Larry’s house. On the drive, dad talked to me about lying, about honesty, and shared the word and definition of integrity with me. Then he told me what I had to do to make it right. In a few moments I found my self in Larry’s den with our dads. I apologized to Larry and gave him his $10 back. And dad was adamant that Larry get to keep the baseball as well. Lesson taught…lesson caught! In a society where everyone seems to be out for themselves, breaches of integrity are common. Honesty is scarce in almost every segment of our culture. Dishonesty has become acceptable, and easily forgivable. The idea of being a person of integrity is a character trait although desired, is usually not expected. As parents we must constantly help our kids understand that God desires that we live a righteous life. And, living an honest life where integrity matters, pleases God. Proverbs 21:23, 22:11 and Romans 8:6 all remind us that honesty is a Godly behavior. As we seek to honor God in our life we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us. Your child’s natural tendency is to please self, not God. Integrity in the home must be taught, but also modeled. Are you a parent of integrity? What are your kids learning from you in this area? How can we help our kids become people of integrity? 1. Catch your kids when they make right choices and celebrate their good decisions. 2. Talk with them often about what the Bible says about Godly behaviors. Look up the verses together and read them aloud. 3. Be honest with your kids about your own struggles with being a person of integrity. Tell them some stories from your past. Tell them where you’ve messed up and what steps you’ve taken to make things right. 4. Pray together about being a God honoring family. 5. Ask your child probing questions about their level of honesty at school, in sports, with money, personal property, and even in your home. Questions to start conversations about integrity: · What are the benefits of being the same person when you are in a crowd as when you’re by yourself? · What does the word “conform,” mean and what does the Bible say about conforming to the world? Romans 12:2 · What process do we need to take to continually build the level of integrity in our relationship and home? Romans 5:35 Let's continually challenge our children to maintain their integrity. This simply pleases God. Ric Callahan Pastor of Families, Westwood Baptist Church, Alabaster, AL
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorRic Callahan has served the Church as minister to youth, children, and families for 37 years. He and his wife, Carla, have a passion for motivating and encouraging parents to activiely pursue Godly leadership in their homes. They have raised two daughters who use their gifts in minsitry as well. Archives
May 2018
Categories
All
|