“CRASH!” went the glass from the window as it shattered onto the back porch. Kevin stared at the broken window. He could hardly believe it. I didn’t know I could throw a football that far. He suddenly realized that he was bigger and stronger than he was last year. It was the first time he had thrown his new football. The throw had been a nice spiral, too, but it went right through the back porch window. I guess I shouldn’t have thrown it toward the house, he thought as he ran up to see what had happened.
Looking at the mess he thought, Mom and Dad are going to be mad at me when they get home. And I’ll probably have to pay for the new window, and I hardly have enough money to buy Mom’s birthday present. Maybe, just maybe I won’t have to tell them I did it. If they ask me, I’ll have to tell them, but if they don’t ask me, then maybe it won’t be like lying.
Then something popped into his mind. He remembered what his Sunday school teacher had said just the week before. They had been reading in Acts about Ananias and Sapphira and what happened to them when they lied. “Boys,” their teacher had said, “telling the truth is so very important. There is no such thing as ‘a little white lie’ in God’s sight. Those who are not Christians think nothing of lying about something if it will help them. But the penalty that fell on Ananias and Sapphira shows what God thinks about lying. Yes, boys, a lie is an awful thing, and often it is just the beginning of a path of sin. Also remember that an acted lie is just as bad as a spoken lie. Someday one of you may be tempted to hide something by keeping quiet. In God’s sight that is just another way of lying. When Satan tells you to keep quiet, ask God to help you to tell the truth and not sin by keeping quiet. He will help you to do what is right and pleasing to Him.”
Just then Kevin’s parents drove into the driveway. As Kevin went around to the front, he asked God to help him tell the truth.
Kevin’s father immediately saw that something was bothering him. “What’s wrong, Kevin?” he asked.
“I broke the back porch window with my football, and I’m really sorry.”
“How did it happen?” asked his father.
“I threw my new football toward the house, and it went lots farther than it’s ever gone before... then SMASH! I’ll pay for the new window, Dad.”
“That’s all right, Kevin,” said his father, putting an arm around Kevin’s shoulder. “Accidents happen. I’m just glad that you came and told me about it right away.”
As they talked more about it, Kevin told him how he almost didn’t say anything about the window. But then he remembered what his Sunday school teacher had said that keeping quiet is another way of lying.
“Son,” said his father, “I’m glad to see that you’ve learned a lesson today. It’s so easy to lie even without opening your mouth. I hope you’ve learned something else too. When you’re tempted to do something wrong, ask God for help to do what is right. Never think you can do it by yourself.”
ML-11/03/1991