I once returned a pair of shoes that were sent to me on accident. I had paid for one pair in the store, and a second pair was sent to my home on accident. So I took the second pair back into the store, and handed them to the store clerk explaining the situation. He held the shoebox in his hand in disbelief and just looked at me. He then thanked me for my honesty and commented that he’d never seen that happen before. I was amazed that such a simple act of honesty was met with such incredulity. Is honesty really that uncommon?
I think there are honest acts all over the place, but perhaps they’re quieter acts. Being honest is much bigger than just not lying. It’s doing the right thing no matter what. It’s not rationalizing your actions (because if you’re trying to rationalize, you already know something’s wrong, right?).
Being honest also requires a bit of courage sometimes. I wrote previously about the little boy who appeared on my doorstep with his dad to tell me about something he’d done. I know that took courage, and I appreciated it immensely. But more than that, he learned that being honest is the right thing to do and you can feel happy when you are honest. Honest people are people of character and are trustworthy. You want to be around people you can trust and who you know will deal with you justly.
Dishonesty hurts you and others. It hurts your spirit and your ability to feel God’s influence when you’re doing something wrong. You have to remember that honesty extends beyond others—being honest with yourself and the Lord are sometimes even more important because your spiritual well-being is on the line.
The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet does a wonderful job of teaching the full meaning of honesty succinctly and accurately.
Related Blogs:
For the Strength of Youth Series
For the Strength of Youth Series: Agency and Accountability
For the Strength of Youth Series: Gratitude
For the Strength of Youth Series: Education
For the Strength of Youth Series: Family
For the Strength of Youth Series: Friends
For the Strength of Youth Series: Dress and Appearance