We have all heard the saying, "honesty is the best policy." However, many of us fall into the trap of dishonesty, thinking it's no big deal. Some of us may engage in dishonest behavior without realizing the potential consequences. Today, I want to discuss the importance of honesty and consider the perspective of God on those who don't practice it.
First, I want to ask how you felt the first time you dealt with a dishonest person. I believe we have all had our fair share of deceitful people and were left feeling taken advantage of because we trusted them. Someone once told me, if it happened once, shame on them, but if it happened twice, shame on you. In other words, next time, we need to be wiser. It is incredible how many people make a living by dishonest gain; some even mock the poor person who believed their lie. Again, I ask, how do we feel after dealing with dishonest people? Do we trust that person again? Are they the kind of company we want to keep around? Many lives have been changed forever because of one person’s dishonesty, and although we don’t see the consequences in that moment, we serve a righteous God who is sure to deal with all those who act unrighteously. God takes our honesty very serious and gave us scripture to show us the benefits of our honesty, but first let’s see the two definitions given to us in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, honesty means “adherence to the facts : sincerity” and “fairness and straightforwardness of conduct.” Proverbs 13:11 tells us, “Wealth gained by dishonesty will be diminished, but he who gathers by labor will increase.” The benefit of our honesty is abundance. Proverbs 12:22 also tells us, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” Who doesn’t want to be Gods delight. We are also reminded in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Since we are discussing honesty, I believe we need to be honest with God and ourselves and meditate on our life and what our goals in the Lord are.
Finally, my friends, if we allow Him to mold us, these little foxes that want to destroy our vines will be removed so our precious fruit can come forth. If you have felt betrayed by someone else's dishonesty, just imagine how our Heavenly Father feels when we are dishonest. We want to be trustworthy, so God can use us for His glory. Until we remove this from our lives, we cannot be effective in the kingdom of God.
Sources
Biblegateway Online
Merriam-Webster Online
That’s Right!!!👏🏻🙏🏼