Honesty
Let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no’.
Matthew 5:37
“I swear to you, I am telling the truth.” Really?
A person’s integrity is based on what they DO, not what they SAY they will do. Being open, trustworthy, and truthful are traits of honesty. When people are honest, they can be relied upon not to lie, cheat, or steal. Honesty is the foundation for trust in any relationship. Being real with yourself and others about who you are, what you want and what you need to live your most authentic life can give a clear definition of the “real” you.
Real life example of honesty: Some time back I made arrangements with an individual to purchase some bales of hay. I was told by the owner there were ample bales ready for pick up in the field. On that basis, I committed to a certain number, borrowed a friend’s trailer, and drove to the field. Imagine my surprise when I looked at a BARE field. NO HAY anywhere. I called the owner and his response was, “I can’t keep track of how many bales I have. Buyers come and go.”
My response, “I was raised where a man’s word was his bond. This instilled a high degree of integrity within me, and it’s disappointing that your word is not your bond. You promised me there would be enough hay in your field to fulfill my need, but that was not the case.”
I learned later that this man had a history for this type of dishonesty. He was known by his reputation of pulling stunts such as this.
Lesson learned: Beware if you know a man lacks honesty and integrity. Do your homework early on before doing business with certain folks!
For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.
1 Corinthians 8:21 NIV
Love Your Neighbor and commit today to be a person of honor and practice HONESTY as God’s Word directs us to.
– Terry Miller has over 30 years of banking and training experience with major banking institutions.12+ years as owner/principal of Terry Miller & Associates – a training and development firm. He spent 8 years as director of Pastoral Care with Waxahachie Bible Church. Terry is currently semi-retired. Continuing with self-employment directing Terry Miller & Associates, a consulting firm conducting speaking and training engagements, in addition to authoring and publishing 4 books.
