Honesty
Have you ever told a little white lie, and before you knew it you had to tell another lie to cover the first lie? If not stopped, it can turn into a tangled web of lies that you cannot get out of. God doesn’t want you to get trapped. Let’s read what the Bible has to say about honesty.
Telling the truth will bring happiness. It’s in the Bible. "Lies will get any man into trouble, but honesty is its own defense. Telling the truth gives a man great satisfaction, and hard work returns many blessings to him" (Proverbs 12:13-14, TLB).
God loves honesty. You’ll find it in the Bible. "The Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty" (Proverbs 11:1, TLB).
Is there a commandment about honesty? Yes. Commandment number eight and nine say, "You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:15-16, NIV).
God wants us to be honest and open about our motives. You’ll find it in the Bible. "So you can see that we were not preaching with any false motives or evil purposes in mind; we were perfectly straightforward and sincere"(I Thessalonians 2:3, TLB). The Bible also says, "For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men” (2 Corinthians 8:21, NIV).
But sometimes I lie without even thinking about it! It is easy to lie. That’s why we should pray for God to put wisdom and truth in our heart. The Bible says, "You deserve honesty from the heart; yes, utter sincerity and truthfulness. Oh give me this wisdom"(Psalm 51:6, TLB).
Honest parents give their children a wonderful gift. You’ll find it in the Bible, "It is a wonderful heritage to have an honest father" (Proverbs 20:7, TLB).
What about people who say hurtful thing about others. Does the Bible talk about that? Yes! Being dishonest about someone can cause hurt as real as a physical injury. It’s in the Bible, "Telling lies about someone is as harmful as hitting him with an ax, or wounding him with a sword, or shooting him with a sharp arrow" (Proverbs 25:18, TLB). You remember the old saying, “If you can’t say something good about someone, don’t say anything at all.” That’s good advice.
The Bible tells the story of Jacob who was a good man. Here is what he told his uncle, Laban, while working for him. “Jacob said to him, ‘You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the LORD has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?’ ‘What shall I give you?" he (Laban) asked. ‘Don’t give me anything, Jacob replied. ‘But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.’" (You’ll find this story in Genesis 30:29-33, NIV).
Honesty is not always easy, but God will bless you if you are honest. Ask Him to put truth in your heart and He will!
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