I swear to tell the truth

“A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is His delight.” So wrote Solomon in Proverbs 11:1.   Note the typical proverbial contrast to aid in our comprehension of the sage advice:  God detests deceit but delights in integrity.  Simple as that.   And it makes complete sense for One Who is the “way, the TRUTH, and the life”.     As a boy I recall reading a short story about two little boys who were trying to sell fruit by the roadside,  each boy filled his containers with cherries but one boy had a scheme to best his competitor.  He would put the smaller and not so good fruit hidden on the bottom and put the plumper cherries on top.  The other boy didn’t discriminate so, he simply placed only good fruit in his containers even if smaller ones were in plain view.   At first the customers snatched up the schemer’s fruit but that was the last time they did, in the end the boy who was honest came out on top.  A short story with a great moral !  Oh if some businesses would only grasp this !!

Honesty is something we need to be taught, we are sinners and our minds gravitate towards deception and making the easy, rather than the right sell, to get ahead.  But being a Christian we receive the ability to recognize that which is less than accurate and replace it with something more genuine, something more Christlike.  An outright fib such as we see politicians routinely engaging in, a shady business deal, putting on airs to impress, fudging on the facts due to our insecurities, even concocting excuses for our shortcomings and sins, feigning spirituality, etc. are all expressions of the sin nature changing the truth for a lie and when we do this we cannot emulate our Savior.   However, telling the truth as it is, being honest when no one but God notices glorify the Lord and also strengthens our soul !

Today you may be put in a situation that if answered honestly may exact of you an initial cost of some sort, remember that honest little boy, do what is right and leave the results to God, He will see you through in the end – Honesty truly is the best policy !!