If you missed my devotion last week, it was about my son and a phase he was going through where the truth seemed to evade him regularly!  Check my blog if you missed it.  So many of you responded to that with your own stories and struggles, so this week here are some more tips to finding the truth with your child.
 
The Straight Truth
 
Send your kids out to the yard, and ask them to bring back a stick.
 
Hold up a ruler (which is completely straight).  Allow the kids to compare their sticks to the ruler.  Which one is the straightest?  Even a stick that looks straight may not really be straight when compared to the ruler.
 
Ask:  How is God's Word, the Bible, like a ruler?  (The Bible is the standard that helps you know right from wrong.)  You can compare the words you hear to the Bible to know what is “straight” and what is not.  What is holiness?  (Holiness is thinking and acting the right way -- according to God's standard.)
 
Take things you hear or learn and compare them to God's Word to know if they are right and true.  For example:  Your friend may tell you it's okay to steal a pack of gum.  Compare that statement to what the Bible says, "Let him who stole, steal no longer" (Ephesians 4:28).
 
Watch TV
 
Watch 30 minutes of TV with your children.  Teach them how to discern truth.  Tell them to take what is said and compare it to the Bible. (Pay attention to wrong attitudes also.)
 
Instruct them to listen carefully for anything that is against God's standard of what is right and wrong.  (For example:  If the child in a TV show tells a lie to his parent, ask: "What does God (the Bible) say about lying?")
 
Explain that not everything on TV is true, but God's Word can be counted on to give you truth.  If you'd like additional help making good media choices, go to www.pluggedinonline.com.

Adapted from Splink Devotional