I find the open challenge in the BCH Nigeria Forum so interesting. The challenge is about choosing a topic or subject where friends can write about it. This is a very creative way of developing our writing skills and any writer or the would-be writer can't afford to miss this exercise.
The topic for today seems to be TRUST. A wise friend once told me that the wise ones don't break laws, they only bend the laws. And I choose to be wise by bending the rule today, instead of writing on Trust I choose to write on Truthful which is closely related.
And there's no way I can write on the virtue of Truthfulness without mentioning the development of children.
Character Training Must be Continued as Children Grow older.
Parents must continue training the character of their children throughout childhood.
Abdul Baha tells parents that they must counsel and guide their children for many years. Developing good character takes a long time. Our patient guidance is needed to help children learn the habit of prayer, the difference between right and wrong, and the divine qualities. These things are easier to learn when children are young. It is very difficult to change a person's character after he has grown up.
Some of the questions for further reflection could be seen below:
Why is it important to start teaching children when they are young?
Why is it important to teach children over a long period?
Why is it important to teach good character before children are grown?
Teaching your children to be Truthful
Here is a beautiful I learned in a study circle "Truthfulness is the foundation of all the virtues of humanity." Abdul Baha.
We must tell the truth to be happy. If we lie, people will learn not to believe the things that we say. Even if no one finds out about a lie, we feel unhappy and afraid that they will.
There is a popular saying that "nothing is hidden from the Sun". Of course, God always knows the truth, so we cannot lie to Him.
Lion, Lion
Once there was a young Shepherd. Every day he took his sheep from his village to find food. The men from the village told him that he should call for help if a lion came.
One day the boy wanted to see if the men would come, so he shouted, " Lion"! The men left their work and ran to help him. They were angry when they found that there was no lion.
The next day the boy felt lonely, so he cried, "Lion!" again. The men came quickly and again found no lion. They were even angrier.
Then one day a lion came. The boy shouted, "Lion, Lion!, " but no one came to help.
We lived in a disillusioned world where dishonesty is encouraged as smartest. Humanity has failed to understand its true purpose on earth. The pursuit of material abundance seems to be a secondary element of our existence but not the main purpose of our existence.
In the midst of all of these misconceptions, the qualities that lead to the development of the higher self are neglected and man is busy developing the qualities that lead to the development of the lower self.
Again, we know that we can not compare the development of good character with the negative traits of society.
This all bores down to the concept of Rising awareness which could be channeled into two opposite directions. One leads to submission to the will of God and self-sacrificing service to humanity and the other to captivity in the prison of self and passion. Abdul Baha.
"The individuality of each created thing is based on divine wisdom, for in the creation of God, there is no defect. However, personality has no element of permanence. It is a slightly changeable quality in man which can be turned in either direction.
