Honesty Is the Best Policy

HONESTY is highly commended in the Bible and is a requirement for true Christians. (Matthew 22:39; 2 Corinthians 8:21) Moreover, honesty really is the best policy, as is demonstrated in the lives of many today whose minds and hearts have been transformed by accurate Bible knowledge. An example of this comes from Liberia.

After much prayerful consideration, a Christian elder and his wife closed their tailor shop. Why? Because it consumed too much of their time and hindered their ministerial activities and personal study. They agreed to be satisfied with a modest income derived from the sale of cloth dyes. Immediately after they took this step, however, dye prices fell on the local market. Their income now would not sustain the family. What would they do?

They asked the company supplying the dye to lower their prices, thus allowing a better margin of profit. This was refused. However, the company offered to send two invoices, one showing the actual price and the other a reduced price that they could present to Customs so as to pay less duty. This would allow the elder to enjoy $2,000 illegal profit on each consignment.

The brother refused to be part of an operation that was dishonest and would defraud the government. Company officials were surprised. They wrote: “We respect your conscience,” and they appointed the elder sole agent for their product in Liberia. With the family’s material needs now adequately cared for, the elder and his wife have been able to auxiliary pioneer, working closely with the brothers to build up the congregation. Truly, their honesty proved to be a blessing for them.

Alfonso, in Spain, also found that honesty is the best policy. This lad left home at the age of 12, and before long he was selling drugs, as well as robbing cars, homes, and shops. Sometimes he robbed as many as ten stores in one day. At age 21, four of his associates severely beat him, stole his entire drug supply, and threatened to kill him if he reported them to the police. Since he was well-known by the police, he was even afraid to go to the hospital for treatment.

While slowly recovering from his wounds, Alfonso reflected seriously on his way of life. He remembered things about the Bible and Christian principles that his mother had told him when he was a child. Then, he had ignored her words, but now he requested a Bible study with Jehovah’s Witnesses. In six months he had completely changed his conduct and personality and qualified for baptism.

However, on the day before his baptism, he received a citation to appear in court to face a charge of armed robbery. It was a crime he had committed quite some time in the past. Nevertheless, Alfonso openly confessed the wrongdoing and was imprisoned pending trial. His defense lawyer urged him to state that he had not stolen anything and that he was not carrying a gun. But Alfonso insisted on telling the truth. Because of the offense and his bad police record, the prosecutor demanded a sentence of 13 years. But in view of his good conduct and honest attitude, he was given six months, which time he had already served while awaiting trial.

Now Alfonso and his wife serve Jehovah faithfully, happy to have found a real purpose in life and to have proved by their own experience that honesty is the best policy.