i'm sorry, but...

how do you teach your child not to lie? i'm struggling with this right now with my daughter. trying to explain to her what the truth is compared to what a lie is has been quite challenging. try explaining what a lie is....well its not telling the truth. well what's the truth? its saying what is true, what is right, what is real.....ahhh! i'm sure in her little 3 1/2 year old head, she is beginning to understand, but she certainly acts like she doesn't. a little while ago i went into her room and she had pulled the ribbon out of a cassette tape. i asked her if she had done it....she immediately said no. so unless an invisible monster had done it, i knew she was lying. so we talked about it and she sat there a minute while i was fixing the tape and she says "mommy, i'm sorry, but i was trying to (something...i didn't know what she said) to my cat". so the denial, blameshifting, excuse-making starts young. why do we so badly not want to own up to sin? because we so badly want to be right. we are such self-absorbed people....and the pride starts early. i know i do the same thing ella does.....i want to repent....but i also want to blame it on someone else or make an excuse as to why i did what i did. when all i have to do is repent....its that simple....He knows my heart and he sees Jesus and His righteousness. i have don't have to prove my righteousness to him....i'm right because of Christ. How arrogant we are to think that we can be SELF-righteous too. anyway....so i pray that as my children get older....i can use these moments to help her see Jesus....and i pray that for ME too! as i was tucking her in for her "rest" time....she says "mommy, can i ask you a teeny, tiny question?" and i thought it was going to be about something we just talked about. but no....she says "can i have a fruit snack after i wake up?". smile.