?Have you ever seen your middle schooler in a spot where it felt like they had to lie, maybe to protect a friend who messed up or to keep themselves out of massive trouble? It's a confusing part of raising middle schoolers, isn't it? What if I told you there is a story in the Bible about a huge lie that reveals a secret to helping our kids choose honesty? It involves a simple scarlet cord, and understanding it is the key to creating a home where our kids run to us with the truth instead of hiding in fear. Stick with me to the end to discover what that scarlet cord represents, because it's a picture of grace that can set our kids free. From the time they're little, we teach them, "Don't lie. Honesty is the best policy." But they get older, and life gets complicated, and this is a core challenge in Christian parenting, navigating those gray areas with our kids. They find themselves in situations where telling the truth feels like a disaster, but a small lie feels like an easy fix. What if the Bible has a story that seems to flip everything we thought we knew about lying on its head? A story about a woman who tells a huge lie, yet ends up to being celebrated as a hero. To be clear, the Bible does not condone lying, and neither do I. But this story forces us to ask a deeper question than just, is it wrong to lie? It pushes us to examine our hearts and ask what's really going on inside. This isn't just about rules, it's about the why behind our words and the direction our hearts are pointed Let's jump back in time to Jericho. Inside this fortress of a city lived a woman named Rahab. The Bible tells us she was a prostitute, so right away we know her life has been messy. She's the last person you'd expect God to use for a history-changing mission. But that's often how God works, isn't it? And this is a powerful part of the Bible to share with your kids through ? ?? the Joshua Bible study. ?You see, the nation of Israel is about to enter the promised land. There is a leader named Joshua, and he sends out two spies to check out the city. It's an incredibly dangerous mission, and stories like this from the Book of Joshua are full of the kind of courage and complexity our kids needs to see. This story in particular opens the door for so many important conversation, which is why I put together a resource to help you walk through the entire book of Joshua with your family, and I will share more about that in a bit. Joshua sent out these two spies, and they head right toward Rahab's house in Jericho, a place, the margin of society, where they hope to blend in. But someone spots them, and word gets to the king, and he sends soldiers to Rahab's door demanding she bring out the spies. This is it. Rahab is stuck. If she tells the truth, the spies die. If she lies, she's committing treason. So what does she do? She looks the soldier right in the eye and says, "Yeah, the men were here," she says. "They left around dusk. If you hurry, you can probably catch them." All the while, the spies are on her roof hiding under a pile of flax. The soldiers buy her story and race out of the city. You see, Rahab just risked everything. She goes to the spies and says, "I know that the Lord has given you this land, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below." That's the key. Her lie was an act of allegiance. She was switching sides, declaring her faith in the one true God. In return, she makes the spies promise to spare her and her family. They agree, telling her to hang a scarlet cord from her window so they'll know which house to protect. And this scarlet cord is a vital piece of the puzzle we're putting together today. The promise of how grace, not just rules, can transform our kids' hearts So Rahab did lie, and yet the New Testament holds her up as an example of faith. Let me be very clear. The Bible does not condone lying. This story is not a loophole. So what do we do with it? The Bible isn't celebrating Rahab's lie. It's celebrating her faith. Hebrews 11:31 says, "By faith, the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient." It says by faith. Her actions were the outward proof of her heart turning to God. And James two, verse 25 says something similar. Was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? James's point is that real faith results in action. Rahab's actions, hiding the men, lying to the soldiers, were evidence of her faith. This is the biggest lesson for our discipleship. God cares more about our heart's motive than just our outward actions. If this perspective is helpful for you, ? ?? do me a quick favor and hit the like button. It tells other faith-focused moms that this is a conversation worth having. ?Rahab's lie was motivated by her new faith in God. She wasn't lying to cover up a mistake or to make herself look good. She was lying to protect God's messengers. Everyone agrees Rahab is celebrated for her faith, showing us that God does use imperfect people ?This is our teaching moment, faith moms. We all need to examine the direction of our hearts to make sure they align with God. And let's remember, we're working our way toward understanding that scarlet cord of grace, and this concept of the heart's direction is central to it. But this is the hard part of parenting, isn't it? , We can talk about our heart motives, but how do we actually help our kids see what's going on in their own hearts? Honestly, , we can't do it for them, but God's word can. Hebrews 4:12 tells us the word of God is living and active, and it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. It's the word that does the work, and that's exactly why I want to invite you to keep having these conversations with your middle schooler. I created this 50-day Joshua Bible study for families that give you practical, engaging way to walk through this book together. You can learn more about the Joshua Bible study using the link in the description, but first, let's learn about a different kind of lie. To understand our heart's direction is so important, but let's take a look at another story from the Book of Acts, the story of Ananias and Sapphira. The early church was an amazing community where people shared generously, and a couple named Ananias and Sapphira wanted the admiration that came with that generosity. They wanted to look spiritual, so they sold their property, secretly kept some of the money, and publicly gave the rest as if it were the whole amount. Ananias was first. He laid the money before the Apostle Peter, but Peter, guided by the Holy Spirit, saw right through it, and he said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit? You have not lied to human beings but to God," and Ananias fell dead. And a few hours later, his wife Sapphira came in. Peter gave her a chance to be honest. "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" She repeated the lie. "Yes, that is the price." Peter said, "How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?" And she too fell down and died. It's a shocking story. Both Rahab and this couple lied, but their hearts were moving in completely different directions. Rahab's lie was driven by faith turning toward God. The lie of Ananias and Sapphira was driven by hypocrisy and pride turning away from God. Their sin wasn't that they kept the money, it was lying about it to boost their reputation. Seeing this darkness helps us understand why the hope represented by Rahab's scarlet cord, the grace we promise is so incredibly powerful and necessary for our middle schoolers This brings it all back to our homes. We've seen a lie of faith and a lie of hypocrisy. Let's talk about the lies that pop up in a middle schooler's life. Think about the last time your child was tempted to lie. Why were they tempted? Why did they want to lie? Maybe it was a fear-based lie. They broke something and were scared of being grounded. The heart motive was self-preservation. Or maybe it was an image management lie. They exaggerated a story to sound cooler. The motive is pride, building a version of themselves they think others will like more. And maybe it was a lie to protect a friend. This one feels tricky because loyalty feels like a good motive, but that lie was loyalty to a friend that trumped loyalty to what is true. If we're honest, most of our kids' lies and ours have more in common with Ananias and Sapphira. And that might sound harsh, but think about the heart. The lies are almost always about us protecting ourselves, promoting ourselves. They come from a heart focused on self, not a heart focused on God. Proverbs 12:22 said, "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy." God values truth because He is truth. Our goal isn't just to produce rule followers. It's to train their hearts to love what God loves, to choose honesty, not just to avoid trouble, but because they want a heart that aligns with the God of truth. And this brings us back to that promise of grace we see in the scarlet cord, the very thing that gives your middle schooler a safe place to land when they fail So here's the challenge for you this week. The next time you sense your child is tempted to lie, stop and help them ask one question, "What is my heart's motive right now?" Is it fear? Pride? Are they trying to protect themselves? Help them be honest with themselves and with you about the root of that lying temptation. Is their heart trying to protect them, or is it trying to honor God? Then help them take a deep breath and make a choice. Encourage them to choose truth, even if it's harder. For moms of middle schoolers, this is our challenge, too. Let's create homes where our kids feel safe enough to tell the truth. Let's be quicker to praise the courage it takes to confess than to punish the mistake. Instead of just, "Did you lie?" You can ask, "Why did you feel like you needed to lie? Were you scared?" This opens up conversations about the why behind their words and creates a space to talk about the choices of their hearts So what happens when our kids blow it? Because often they will, and we all will. In those moments, it's so important to remember the end of Rahab's story and the meaning of that scarlet cord I promised we'd get to. When the walls of Jericho came tumbling down, the spies saw that scarlet cord hanging from the window. Amid the city's destruction, they rescued Rahab and her entire family. She was saved. But the story gets even better. This woman with a messy past was welcomed into God's people. And if you trace the family line of Jesus in the Book of Matthew, you'll find her name in his official genealogy. Rahab, this woman saved by faith was given a place of honor. Before we finish, if you're a mom who wants to help your middle schooler grow in faith and know God's Word, ? I'd love for you to subscribe. Each week, I share biblical encouragement and practical tips to help you disciple your child with confidence. ?And this is the beautiful grace that is the bedrock of our parenting. That scarlet cord is a picture of the grace available to all of us through Jesus. No matter our past or how many times we've messed up, God's grace is bigger. He doesn't demand perfection. He invites us into a relationship. When our kids fail, he doesn't kick them out. He offers forgiveness when they come to him with an honest heart. Just like he showed grace to Rahab, God shows grace to our families. So when your child messes up, teach them not to run and hide or pile on more lies. Teach them to run to God. And if this story helped you see how the Book of Joshua can lead to powerful heart-changing conversations with your middle schooler, I created the 50-day Joshua Bible study specifically to give you, as a faith mom, a practical way to walk through this book with our kids. The study will help you guide your child to think, reason, and ask meaningful questions. My hope is that the truths like Joshua 8:9 about being strong and courageous because God is with you will become deeply rooted in your child's heart. You can click the link in the description for more details. Because teaching our kids to run to God, to be honest about their hearts, and to trust in His grace, that is the truth that will set them free. . Until we see you again on the Faith Mom Mentor
