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TO BE honest means to be truthful and free of fraud. Honesty requires you to be fair in dealing with others—straightforward, honorable, not deceptive or misleading. An honest person is a man of integrity. Being always trustworthy, he will never cheat his fellowman. All of us would like to be treated that way, would we not? So can honesty ever become out-of-date?
The Christian immediately sees in the above definitions why anyone professing to be a true worshiper must be an honest person. (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) He worships “Jehovah the God of truth.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) Reasonably, only “truthful men” qualify to represent him.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., New World Translation Reference Bible, footnote.
Honesty affects many aspects of our lives, so it is understandable that the apostle Paul said: “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.” That includes in speech, at work, in family matters, in business dealings, and in responding to whatever legal requirements governments impose on us.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
In What We Say
There are many ways—though often viewed as innocent and acceptable—in which people do not speak truth. They falsify reports on hours of work, get children to tell untruths to callers, give inaccurate statements to insurance agents, and lie about being sick to get off from work, to mention a few.
Sometimes what we have to say to another has to be put in writing. For some reason, individuals who would never lie orally feel that it is a different matter when reporting income for taxes or writing an itemized declaration for customs agents at an international border. This cheating costs all taxpayers. Is that real love of neighbor? Besides, do not Christians have an obligation to “pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar”?—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.; see also You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
In what we speak, we certainly want to imitate “the God of truth,” not “the father of the lie.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) Unscrupulous men may resort to doubletalk to misrepresent and deceive. But lying to our neighbor is not loving him. Besides, liars have no real future.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
On the Job
Doing an honest day’s work for wages received is a reasonable and Scriptural requirement. (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) Yet, there are many thousands of time thieves who waste company time on extended breaks, come to work late and leave early, spend much time grooming themselves after arriving at work, use the company phone for long unauthorized personal calls, operate their own businesses on company time, and even take naps. Their s†éáling escalates costs for everybody.
Other forms of theft on the job include taking supplies and equipment for personal use. Some claim that this is nothing more than making up for inadequate salaries, as if they are evening up things with a stingy employer! But if taking things is without the knowledge and permission of the owner or employer, it is really a form of s†éáling.
In all these situations, the true Christian will apply the inspired counsel: “Let the s†éáler s†éál no more, but rather let him do . . . with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.”—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Yet, what if your employer asks you to perform a dishonest or an îllégâl act and threatens to dismiss you if you do not comply? Some examples: Charge a customer for replacement of auto parts that were never put on the vehicle; place less expensive, inferior merchandise in boxes so customers can be charged higher rates; write new, “marked down” prices on goods, when the original prices were the same or lower. Many employees would view this as the employer’s responsibility, not the worker’s. What have Jehovah’s Witnesses done when faced with such a situation? Daryl J—— relates:
“While working as a produce manager in a grocery store, I was approached by management and asked to increase the profit margin without raising any of the prices. Suggestions to accomplish this were: Exaggerate the weight of certain products, and submit ‘dummy’ credit notes to a supplier. Common practices but dishonest.”
Daryl refused to misrepresent and cheat. (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) A few weeks later he was laid off. Was he unwise to subject his family to the effects of his unemployment? Did he regret having been honest? No, because when a fellow Witness heard what had happened, he provided employment. Daryl says: “In three to four weeks, I was back supporting myself and my family by honest means. I count it a privilege to be blessed by Jehovah for keeping my integrity to him.”
On the other hand, you might get a job because you are honest. An agent for a well-known international insurance company advised the owner of a successful store in downtown Toronto, Canada, to end his problems with employee theft by hiring Jehovah’s Witnesses. The agent explained: ‘When I was in another city receiving my insurance training, I found out that among their clients was a large supermarket chain that hired only Witnesses to restock the grocery shelves at night. They had had some bad experiences with other workers but had not lost a thing since they had given keys to the Witnesses to come in after hours to do the restocking.’
Other Ways to Be Honest
At the time of borrowing money, the borrower often reflects humility and respect, and he expresses reassuring words about repayment and gratitude for help. But when the time arrives to pay off the debt, an amazing Jekyll-and-Hyde change in attitude comes over some borrowers. It is common then to note anger, hostility, complaints of being harassed for repayment, and claims that the lender lacks mercy. In the borrower’s eyes, the generous lender has been transformed into a monster! The Bible, though, says that ‘the borrower who does not pay back is wicked.’ (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) This would especially be the case where the borrower makes no effort to pay even modest amounts to demonstrate good faith, perhaps making no effort even to communicate with the lender.
In family life, honesty is called for in many matters: The head of the house ought to be truthful with his wife about his income and financial matters; the wife should be honest with him about how she spends family funds; both need to be persons of integrity, including limiting their *** interests to each other; the children do well to be truthful and obedient as respects their associations and forms of entertainment, consistent with their parents’ stated wishes.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
From all that has been said, it ought to be clear that a genuine Christian must “renounce unrighteousness”—the wicked works and bad fruitage that accompany dishonesty, lying, deceiving, cheating, and moral corruption.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Rewards and Benefits
Fairness and straightforwardness, truthful dealings with others, promote honesty. A climate of trust and confidence thus develops, leading to healthy attitudes and relationships. Honesty also provides an atmosphere for confident living, free of time- and energy-consuming defensiveness bred by suspicions, doubts, and fears about others.—Compare You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Honesty contributes to our having a clean conscience, which is essential if we are acceptably to “render sacred service to the living God.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) It gives peace of mind, leading to a good night’s sleep. You can face others without embarrassment. Being honest eliminates the gnawing fear of being caught in wrongdoing. In this way we maintain human dignity and self-respect. How could that ever be out-of-date or impractical?
Thus, there are many present rewards and benefits that will flow to us and others if we are honest persons. Yet, more than anything else, we should want to be honest not just because it is the best policy or because we are commanded to be honest but because we love our Father Jehovah. We want to maintain our precious relationship with him and have his approval. We also want to be honest because we thereby express love of neighbor. So, simply put, being a true Christian means being honest.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
The psalmist says: “O Jehovah, who will be a guest in your tent? Who will reside in your holy mountain? He who is walking faultlessly and practicing righteousness and speaking the truth in his heart. . . . To his companion he has done nothing bad.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) If we lead honest lives as worshipers of Jehovah, then when he justly ends the present unrighteous system and when “the tent of God is with mankind,” we will be among those who enjoy eternal blessings as his “guest.” Then we will never be out-of-date!—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
The Christian immediately sees in the above definitions why anyone professing to be a true worshiper must be an honest person. (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) He worships “Jehovah the God of truth.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) Reasonably, only “truthful men” qualify to represent him.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now., New World Translation Reference Bible, footnote.
Honesty affects many aspects of our lives, so it is understandable that the apostle Paul said: “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.” That includes in speech, at work, in family matters, in business dealings, and in responding to whatever legal requirements governments impose on us.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
In What We Say
There are many ways—though often viewed as innocent and acceptable—in which people do not speak truth. They falsify reports on hours of work, get children to tell untruths to callers, give inaccurate statements to insurance agents, and lie about being sick to get off from work, to mention a few.
Sometimes what we have to say to another has to be put in writing. For some reason, individuals who would never lie orally feel that it is a different matter when reporting income for taxes or writing an itemized declaration for customs agents at an international border. This cheating costs all taxpayers. Is that real love of neighbor? Besides, do not Christians have an obligation to “pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar”?—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.; see also You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
In what we speak, we certainly want to imitate “the God of truth,” not “the father of the lie.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) Unscrupulous men may resort to doubletalk to misrepresent and deceive. But lying to our neighbor is not loving him. Besides, liars have no real future.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
On the Job
Doing an honest day’s work for wages received is a reasonable and Scriptural requirement. (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) Yet, there are many thousands of time thieves who waste company time on extended breaks, come to work late and leave early, spend much time grooming themselves after arriving at work, use the company phone for long unauthorized personal calls, operate their own businesses on company time, and even take naps. Their s†éáling escalates costs for everybody.
Other forms of theft on the job include taking supplies and equipment for personal use. Some claim that this is nothing more than making up for inadequate salaries, as if they are evening up things with a stingy employer! But if taking things is without the knowledge and permission of the owner or employer, it is really a form of s†éáling.
In all these situations, the true Christian will apply the inspired counsel: “Let the s†éáler s†éál no more, but rather let him do . . . with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.”—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Yet, what if your employer asks you to perform a dishonest or an îllégâl act and threatens to dismiss you if you do not comply? Some examples: Charge a customer for replacement of auto parts that were never put on the vehicle; place less expensive, inferior merchandise in boxes so customers can be charged higher rates; write new, “marked down” prices on goods, when the original prices were the same or lower. Many employees would view this as the employer’s responsibility, not the worker’s. What have Jehovah’s Witnesses done when faced with such a situation? Daryl J—— relates:
“While working as a produce manager in a grocery store, I was approached by management and asked to increase the profit margin without raising any of the prices. Suggestions to accomplish this were: Exaggerate the weight of certain products, and submit ‘dummy’ credit notes to a supplier. Common practices but dishonest.”
Daryl refused to misrepresent and cheat. (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) A few weeks later he was laid off. Was he unwise to subject his family to the effects of his unemployment? Did he regret having been honest? No, because when a fellow Witness heard what had happened, he provided employment. Daryl says: “In three to four weeks, I was back supporting myself and my family by honest means. I count it a privilege to be blessed by Jehovah for keeping my integrity to him.”
On the other hand, you might get a job because you are honest. An agent for a well-known international insurance company advised the owner of a successful store in downtown Toronto, Canada, to end his problems with employee theft by hiring Jehovah’s Witnesses. The agent explained: ‘When I was in another city receiving my insurance training, I found out that among their clients was a large supermarket chain that hired only Witnesses to restock the grocery shelves at night. They had had some bad experiences with other workers but had not lost a thing since they had given keys to the Witnesses to come in after hours to do the restocking.’
Other Ways to Be Honest
At the time of borrowing money, the borrower often reflects humility and respect, and he expresses reassuring words about repayment and gratitude for help. But when the time arrives to pay off the debt, an amazing Jekyll-and-Hyde change in attitude comes over some borrowers. It is common then to note anger, hostility, complaints of being harassed for repayment, and claims that the lender lacks mercy. In the borrower’s eyes, the generous lender has been transformed into a monster! The Bible, though, says that ‘the borrower who does not pay back is wicked.’ (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) This would especially be the case where the borrower makes no effort to pay even modest amounts to demonstrate good faith, perhaps making no effort even to communicate with the lender.
In family life, honesty is called for in many matters: The head of the house ought to be truthful with his wife about his income and financial matters; the wife should be honest with him about how she spends family funds; both need to be persons of integrity, including limiting their *** interests to each other; the children do well to be truthful and obedient as respects their associations and forms of entertainment, consistent with their parents’ stated wishes.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
From all that has been said, it ought to be clear that a genuine Christian must “renounce unrighteousness”—the wicked works and bad fruitage that accompany dishonesty, lying, deceiving, cheating, and moral corruption.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Rewards and Benefits
Fairness and straightforwardness, truthful dealings with others, promote honesty. A climate of trust and confidence thus develops, leading to healthy attitudes and relationships. Honesty also provides an atmosphere for confident living, free of time- and energy-consuming defensiveness bred by suspicions, doubts, and fears about others.—Compare You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
Honesty contributes to our having a clean conscience, which is essential if we are acceptably to “render sacred service to the living God.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) It gives peace of mind, leading to a good night’s sleep. You can face others without embarrassment. Being honest eliminates the gnawing fear of being caught in wrongdoing. In this way we maintain human dignity and self-respect. How could that ever be out-of-date or impractical?
Thus, there are many present rewards and benefits that will flow to us and others if we are honest persons. Yet, more than anything else, we should want to be honest not just because it is the best policy or because we are commanded to be honest but because we love our Father Jehovah. We want to maintain our precious relationship with him and have his approval. We also want to be honest because we thereby express love of neighbor. So, simply put, being a true Christian means being honest.—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..
The psalmist says: “O Jehovah, who will be a guest in your tent? Who will reside in your holy mountain? He who is walking faultlessly and practicing righteousness and speaking the truth in his heart. . . . To his companion he has done nothing bad.” (You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now.) If we lead honest lives as worshipers of Jehovah, then when he justly ends the present unrighteous system and when “the tent of God is with mankind,” we will be among those who enjoy eternal blessings as his “guest.” Then we will never be out-of-date!—You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..