I remember a parent telling “little white lies” when I was a child. After a while, I didn’t know what the truth was, and I seldom believed anything this parent said. And I took to hiding the truth myself. When I didn’t want to admit that I was ashamed of the way my lunches were made, I hid them under my bed and didn’t eat lunch. I was too afraid to tell the truth.

Consider this Scripture: “Truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14). How important was telling the truth in your family of origin? Was truth told with grace or anger? Recall an incident in either case. What role does truth play today as you parent your children? How have you modeled grace-filled truth telling to your children?

—Mary E. DeMuth

This is part of Mary E. DeMuth’s guided journal, “Creating the Family You Always Wanted,” a 12-week journey in Christian parenting. Twice a week, you’ll receive a new journaling prompt encouraging you to think about your family–and God–in new ways. Use these prompts in your own journal or in group discussion. If you’re joining this journal mid-way through, you can start journaling at any time, and stay subscribed at the end, when the journal will restart and you can receive the prompts that you missed.