On this day in 1732, George Washington was born.

Earlier this month, we celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. Kids used to get both his birthday and this day off from school. But now we have “Presidents Day”—the third Monday in February instead, so you only get one vacation day. But it’s still good to remember these two great presidents, Lincoln and Washington.

Like Lincoln, George Washington was known for his honesty. Supposedly he admitted to his father, “I cannot tell a lie. I chopped down the cherry tree.” Whether that story is true or not, it’s good to be known as someone who tells the truth. That’s a great reputation to have!

The Bible says we should tell the truth, but that’s not always easy. When caught doing something wrong, we want to make excuses instead of admitting what we did. Or in order to impress someone we might make up a story about ourselves. Or to get ahead in school, we are tempted to cheat. Many times in a variety of situations we feel the pressure to lie or to hide the truth. One of the problems with telling a lie is that it leads to other lies and then to more lies, until you’re not really sure what you said to whom—a real mess.

Lying is so common that in court witnesses have to “swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” And when people say something to someone, they have to add, “I promise.”

Telling the truth may hurt (you might be punished, lose a friendship, or get a lower grade), but it will help you in the long run. You’ll become a person with a clear conscience and a good reputation. And most important, you’ll be obeying God.

And that’s the truth!

Do not steal. Do not cheat one another. Do not lie (Leviticus 19:11).

To Do

Today, look for someone who tells you the truth, even if it’s something that’s painful to hear. This could be a teacher who breaks the bad news about a grade, a parent who shares his or her feelings, or a friend who points out something you said or did. Then say something like this to that person: “Thank you for telling me the truth. I really appreciate that.”

Also on this day . . .

This is Be Humble Day.

1889—North and South Dakota, Montana, and Washington were admitted to the Union.

1923—The first successful chinchilla farm opened in Los Angeles, California.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.