“Honesty is the first chapter of wisdom.” -Thomas Jefferson
“No legacy is so rich as honesty.” -William Shakespeare
“Honesty is the best policy.” -Benjamin Franklin
“Honesty is such a lonely word everyone is so untrue.” -Billy Joel
Of the four quotes above, I have mostly related to the singer/songwriter Billy Joel when it comes to honesty. And I see in the world we live in that this is more of a reality then that of Jefferson, Shakespeare or Franklin. I guess this is nothing new, the Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” according to the gospel of John. But he like most of us did not see the truth when it stood right in front of him. When Jesus is not the, way, the truth and the life in our lives Pilate was right, anything becomes truth.
In the time I lived as a drug dealer, this was more evident to me than any other time in my life. The people that I surrounded myself with were liars, so I thought at the time. THEY were cheating me. THEY were cutting my drugs and robbing me blind. It was always THEY. But it did not seem to bother me that I used scales that were not calibrated, cheating the people I sold to out of the product they had paid for. I cut the drugs with baby laxative and other things, so I could keep more of the product for myself. In my head when I lied, cheated or raised prices to those who didn’t know any better it was just good business.
I wish I could say that my dishonesty was only doing business with dealers and druggies, it was not. That is the thing about having no moral center, not having Jesus or his Word in my life, honesty means only what I want it to be, what allowed me to come out on top. The thing was the more immoral and dishonest I became the less I really topped anything.
Yes, I made a good living lying as a project manager of construction companies. Doing anything that would make a profit for those that hired me. I had little problem treating the general contractors we worked for in the same way as those I cheated and lied to in the drug business. And in the same way I saw no wrong in it because, well, it was just business. THEY would do the same to me if they got the chance. I don’t know how many companies paid for my dishonesty, but I still think about it.
It was in my personal life that the immorality and dishonesty really took its toll. The problem will always be that you can not just turn these things on and off. If you are being dishonest in your dealings with strangers, you soon will come to treat your friends and family the same way, and I did. As I did, people I supposedly loved were hurt and worse lost all trust in my ability to be a father, a husband or even a friend.
I have had a tendency to blame how I was on my addictions. You know, that is the way people are who need that next ‘fix’ and would do anything to get it done; lie cheat, or steal. But while some of that may be true, I find that even in my sober life, getting over on somebody, or lying when the truth would serve me so much better still plagues me sometimes. I have had to pray and seek the Holy Spirit to show me why this is. Here is what I know.
Jesus said this, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44) There is not much more to add to this. If Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and Satan is the father of lies, when I fall back into old patterns or seek to not live in God’s will I cannot help but be dishonest.
In our world today, politicians speak of ‘fake news’ or that a truth can be subject to political or religious persuasions. But honesty and truth cannot be subject to anything. It is simple, either our truth is totally based in Jesus Christ and his Word or it is not truth at all. So maybe Thomas Jefferson had it right, honesty is the first chapter of wisdom. Or the bard, Shakespeare, meant what he said, that there is no other legacy as rich as honesty. And I am positive that Franklin was spot on when he said, honesty is the best policy. But I think I will stick with God’s Word, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4: 8-9) When these are our thoughts and deeds, honesty is our wisdom, legacy and policy.
Happy Sabbath and Blessings,
John
10/19/18
