Honesty Is The Best Policy

“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices” – Colossians 3:9. 

Most of us have been taught that “honesty is the best policy.” Our parents taught us to be honest to authorities, teachers or anyone else because it reveals our character. Yes, we should practice honesty because of the social ramifications. But, we should also, and more importantly, practice honesty because it pleases God. Honesty is God’s policy. God wants us to be honest at all times.   

As followers of Christ, we aren’t honest because society tells us to be honest. Our society isn’t always honest. In fact, in many cases, the goal is to get away with being dishonest. The thought being that if you get away with it, more power to you. In other words, if you don’t get caught, then dishonesty is okay.

As followers of Christ, we try to be as honest as possible because we have a different standard. When a Christian, honesty is the norm. Honesty is best cultivated, like most virtues, when exercised regularly. When we get into a habit of telling the truth we won’t be tempted to depart from the truth quite as often.   

There is a story in 2 Kings 12. Joash was King of Judah. He noticed that the temple was in need of repair. So he starts a Biblical kickstarter campaign. He places a chest at the entrance door of the temple so people could drop in their offerings for the temple repairs. When the chest was full, the money was given to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the Lord—the carpenters and builders, the masons and stonecutters. (2 Kings 12:10-12) If this was today, some of the money may have skimmed off, or mismanaged or used for other projects.

But how did the building superintendents handle the money in this passage of scripture? Verse 15 tells us: “They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.”  

God is looking for some honest people. People in whom He can trust. People who will be honest in all their dealings. People who reflect God in their lives.

Discussion Questions:

1. What does honesty mean to you?
2. I would challenge you to deliberately be honest for the next day or two. In that time refuse to lie, deceive or speak in half-truths. It will not be easy. It will require your total effort and concentration, and a lot of help from the Holy Spirit.