Officials who deal with fraud and theft say they are often amazed at
the small amounts of money some people will steal. Some people will sell
their integrity for a pittance. To those individuals, dishonest
behavior is not an occasional occurrence it is a way of life. Those who
lie about insignificant things or steal trivial amounts of money will
develop the habit of lying and stealing.
As you look back on your own behavior, can you do so with pride in the
knowledge that you have always been honest? If you cannot, perhaps it is
time to think about the times when you chose dishonest behavior. Why
did you do it? Was it worth it? Wouldn’t the consequences of being
honest and truthful have been far better in those circumstances? Learn
from your mistakes and vow that from this day forward you will always be
honest.
There are no degrees of honesty. There are only absolutes. Either you
are honest or you are not. Honesty does not come for a price; honesty
is its own reward. It’s also the most efficient form of human behavior.
Honest persons never have to worry about which lie they have told to
whom, and they never have to worry about getting caught. Thus, they are
free to focus all their energies on more productive things.
Make it a habit to be honest in all your dealings. If you can’t be
truthful in what you say, don’t say anything at all. Remember, small
lies start out innocently enough but soon assume lives of their own. A
small lie requires a larger one to conceal it, and soon more, even
larger lies are required. Don’t tell that first lie or take a single
thing that doesn’t belong to you, and you’ll never have to worry.
Supplementary Information:
We should not greedily make financial gain out of exploiting our relationship with our brothers. Does that mean that Christians can never do business together? No. It is just that there is a time and place for business, and another time and place for worship. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) However, when Christians do have business relationships, they should not forget Bible principles. When a Christian makes a business agreement, he should not seek legal loopholes to get out of his moral obligations. (Matthew 5:37) Neither will he become relentless or vindictive if a business goes sour and he loses money. The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Really, then, it means altogether a defeat for you that you are having lawsuits with one another. Why do you not rather let yourselves be wronged? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded?” (1 Corinthians 6:7) Could you, for the sake of the congregation, choose to be defrauded rather than go to court?
