How honest am I?

The character strength of honesty that we admire in each other is something we can always develop more of  it being take responsibility for our feelings and actions and being without pretence. 

As a child I vehemently denied having eaten sweets even though I had and was still claiming the weekly reward of fruit-money for not eating sweets during the week. It wasn't so much that I wanted the reward, it was more that I didn't want to look bad in my younger siblings and parent's eyes. 

Even though my dad re-assured me that he wouldn't get angry if I admitted it, I still went on to lie explaining that my friend's granny gave them to me and I couldn't say no. Of course, when my dad faced me with the fact of having seen me getting sweets out of a slot-machine up the town when he passed by in his military car, I couldn't deny it. I had been so careful not to be seen, but never counted on him being in a work vehicle! That was a sneaky one I thought!

There's great satisfaction though in taking responsibility for our actions rather than 'getting away with it'. To have the courage to say 'Yes, I did it' but also to know why we did what we did, and whether we still think it is a good idea or not, even though it seemed so at the time. Easier said than done. 

In the case of my over-developed sweet-tooth as a child, that was something that my parents could perhaps have helped me with, because at times I just couldn't help myself, I had to have some sweets😃 at least that's how I experienced it and it was my own pocket-money I used. But yes, I did lie and I did claim my reward which was dishonest so that was bad. 

Isn't that the story in the garden of Eden, it wasn't so much that Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, but the fact that they lied and hid themselves away from God. They should've just faced him and said 'listen, sorry, we were curious and thought something good would come out of it but we were wrong. We failed to appreciate everything that you have given us already and we fell into temptation but we are sorry and we'll try to do better.' Easy for me to say😉but a challenge to live up to.