Honesty Honors Jehovah
THE world has a saying that “honesty is the best policy,” but he who is honest only because of policy is neither truly honest nor likely to follow that policy consistently. A far better incentive for Christians to be honest is that “honesty honors Jehovah.” And that it does, for it shows that He can have integrity-keepers in spite of the Devil’s boast that he can turn all men away from God.
Illustrating how honesty does indeed bring honor to Jehovah are the following letter from a New York city teenager and a newspaper clipping:
“On my way home from the public library I noticed a black pocketbook on the sidewalk, which I picked up and took home. Seeing the name and telephone number of the owner I at once phoned her and arranged for her to pick it up at my home. The pocketbook contained a considerable amount of money as well as papers that the owner valued greatly. When she called she thanked me and remarked: ‘I didn’t think there were any honest people left in the world.’ She wanted to reward me and so I took advantage of the opportunity to witness to her and asked her if she would like to receive The Watchtower and Awake! at her home for one year. She said yes and was very pleased with the copies I gave her. She wanted to give me money besides, but I said that her taking the magazines was a fine reward for me.
“She was so impressed that she had an item printed in the local paper, which mentioned that I was one of Jehovah’s witnesses. She told me she knew of Jehovah’s witnesses and their fine work.” The news item referred to, dated February 17, 1957, follows:
“Mrs. L. L. Watkins of 8602 Forest Parkway is happy today that her lost pocketbook was found by an honest 14-year-old Cypress Hills boy, who noting her address in the purse promptly returned it to her. Mrs. Watkins was so grateful that she stopped at the Leader-Observer office and asked that special mention of the boy’s honesty be made in the paper. Out on a shopping trip, Mrs. Watkins had filled her arms with bundles and was carrying a large shopping bag. When she returned home she didn’t realize she had lost her purse until Jeremiah Sciuto, 14, of 62 Hemlock Street phoned. The boy had found the purse on Jamaica Avenue and returned it intact. The lad is a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”