I didn't dye my hair until I was in my mid-fifties. I didn't have a lot of gray to cover, but just enough that it was getting annoying. To save money, I thought I would color my hair at home with my husband, Joe's, help. Unfortunately, our first attempt resulted in orange hair for me. At that point, I decided that a trip to a hair salon was a good idea. The only problem was that my regular hair stylist was on vacation. I prayed for God's wisdom and chose a new salon that was only a mile away from my home. It was the perfect choice. The ladies there knew just how to cover my orange hair by matching my natural dark brown hair color.

The next time I saw my regular hair stylist to get my usual haircut, I felt funny about telling her that I had found another salon to color my hair. This lady had become a dear friend of ours because she had been cutting hair for our entire family for many years. I prayed and asked the Lord to give me the right words to speak to her about my new colorist, because I knew that I wanted to continue to get color at the other salon on a regular basis. I thought about lying and telling her that I was coloring my hair at home, in order to spare her feelings, but then decided that it wasn't an option for me, especially since this woman knew that I was a believer.

Several years later, I was relieved and thankful that I had made the choice to be honest with my friend. She lost her own salon when her landlady forced her to leave, and she went to work for the salon where I had been getting my hair colored the past few years. What's really uncanny is that my area has an abundance of hair salons, and the chances of my friend losing her 30-year business and choosing to work at my colorist's salon were very slim. And yet, that's exactly what happened.

The Bible says, "Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies." (Psalm 34:12-13 NIV) I am more convinced than ever that the old saying is true - "honesty is the best policy." "Telling lies" can come back to haunt us, and can even destroy cherished relationships.

Scripture says, "Don't tell lies to each other; it was your old life with all its wickedness that did that sort of thing; now it is dead and gone." (Colossians 3:9 TLB) Once we are saved, deception no longer fits who we are, especially since the Spirit of Truth dwells in us. (John 14:17)

It's my heartfelt prayer that you and I will stand out for Christ in a dark and deceptive world by being people of honesty and truth!

Prayer: Lord, I earnestly desire to "see many good days," so please help me to resist lies and deception all the rest of my life. Work in my mind and heart so that I may always value truth the way that You do. Remind me often that the Spirit of Truth abides in me, and that lying no longer fits who I am as a follower of Christ. Thank you that as I sow seeds of truth wherever I go, I will reap a harvest of life, wholeness, and peace!