It was a high season with supposed applause and goodwill. The place was a busy gas station in a major American city. In the early hours of the morning, the thieves broke into the station and left their two companions tied up. Finally the drivers arrived. Some made fun of the participants but did nothing to help them. Before a customer called the police, it was reported that around 100 drivers were serving gasoline and cigarettes without paying anything. If you had had a similar chance of getting for nothing, what would you have done?
Think of a different situation. In just one year, a hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada reported the loss (and possibly theft) of 7,665 place settings and approximately 2,800 ashtrays. If you had the opportunity to help yourself in these areas, what would you have done?
Imagine the hotel owner's surprise when one day he received a stolen ashtray in the mail. An introductory letter reads: “I humbly return to you the ashtray that I stole from you a few years ago. I'm so sorry I stole it and I apologize. The reason I came back is because I became a Jehovah's Witness and now try to live by the Bible. ""
What a person should do about the mistakes of the past must be decided personally. Right now, no one has a perfect life story. "If what you saw was wrong, God, who would be noticed? asks the Bible.
These people are not trying to make a name for themselves by being honest. They do not seek praise from others. Nor do they simply follow the old adage that “honesty is the best policy”. The ultimate benefit is the result of honesty. And there is a very important reason why these Christians have to be honest.
First, think about some of the benefits of being honest. The Bible says, "Whoever makes unjust gain will give his house." (Pro. 15:27.) A person who longs for dishonest gains, perhaps in the form of bribes, may think the trip is worth it. But when other people find out about the man's dishonesty, they no longer trust him and no longer want to have contact with him. This is because you can be punished for your dishonest acts and as a result your whole family can be affected by your mistakes.
On the other hand, people tend to trust someone who is known for being honest. Honest practices have even brought material benefits. To illustrate, many years ago, an international student attending a university in the American Midwest bought a car from a local dealership. About fifteen years have passed. At the time, the former student was the sole buyer of the Iranian Businessmen's Association. How shocked the dealership was when the former student ordered a million dollars for 1,100 trucks! Because? Because this former student felt like the shopkeeper had treated him honestly years ago. “It's amazing,” the businessman said. "He was a normal student and we sold him a car. If you throw bread in the water you never know how he's going to react."
Honesty makes others happy. It also helps to reward honest people. The car salesman mentioned a Bible phrase when he spoke of throwing bread in the water. We read in the scriptures: "Send your bread over the water, for in days you will find it." Yes, if we treat others with kindness, honesty, etc., they are likely to react the same way. In other words: "We reap what we sow". Practice giving and people will give it to you. They will pour a good amount of it on your knees, squeezed, shaken and crowded. Because when you measure, they will measure you back.
Another benefit: the honest person can have a clear conscience. You do not have to "live a lie", just pretend to act honestly. You also do not have to worry about engaging in dishonest practices. No sleepless night for him!
But suppose that honesty never seems to benefit the practitioner materially or physically. Those who control their lives according to the Bible will remain honest. Why? Because they have a very important reason to be honest. They want to please Jehovah God, and he demands honesty from all who seek his consent. This is evident from the inspired word of God. For example, he says: “Two kinds of pesos [one that gives a person an unfair advantage when buying and another that makes him cheat when he sells] are insignificant to Jehovah, and a deceptive scale is not good.
In response to these words, what do you think the faithful apostles of Jesus Christ would have done if they had the opportunity to be dishonest? Notice what the apostle Paul said: "Let us take honest steps not only before Jehovah but also before the people." It is obvious that the apostle does not act dishonestly by using customs, but by believing in an "honest provision." But Christian honesty has much more to offer.
Paul also wrote, "We renounce the subtle things we are ashamed of, do not walk cunningly or falsify the word of God, but reveal the truth and surrender ourselves to every human conscience before God." Paul was certainly not dishonest. in dealing with others. A deviant person deviates from a true divine path.
