Honesty and Integrity

Psalm 31:23 - The Lord preserves the Faithful.

It is always the right thing to do the right thing - Anonymous

While the above quote may seem simple it is not always the easiest thing to do. There are times when it might be convenient to be less than honest.The following story was told by a man who lived during WWII. During the war it was next to impossible to get new tires. The only way to fix a flat was to "retread" a tire. This man's brother was shipping overseas so he agreed to take the bus across country, pick up his sister-in-law and drive her back to their home town. His brother had just purchased a car with "new tires." When he arrived to pick up his sister-in-law he discovered that the tires were retreads. In short, he fixed fifty-two flats in the next 2 days while they drove home. At one point he admitted that he faced a temptation he almost couldn't handle. He came around a curve and there was a car lying upside down in the ditch with 4 new tires on it. But he was a man of integrity and so naturally he left the tires on that car and kept fixing flats.

 Is it ever right to do wrong? Aren't there situations when it isn't wrong to lie or cheat or steal? After all life is hard, right? All kinds of excuses will come to our minds as to when it might be acceptable to "bend the rules" a little. Here are some times when we might be tempted to falsify information:

Reporting on income tax
Returning something to the store that has been used
Saying someone isn't home when we know they are
Telling a bill collector that they have the wrong number
What about if our boss asks us to do something that we know isn't honest?

There is always the excuse that "everyone else is doing it" so why not me? It isn't really wrong, is it?  Who hasn't had the thought "no one will ever know?" Yet somehow others do know when we aren't exactly honest. We gain more respect when we refuse to do what "everyone else is doing" because we know it is wrong. And let's suppose that no one does know. What about our own conscience? Somehow, no matter how hard we try, we just can't seem to fool ourselves. It goes without saying that we can't fool God.

 It may not always be popular to do right but it is always the only acceptable choice, especially for a Christian. As I heard one preacher put it, "If doing right gets you into trouble then doing right will get you out of trouble in the end".

It would be wonderful to tell you that this man went down the road and someone gave him 4 new tires. But that isn't what happened. He just kept fixing flats. Life doesn't always have a fairy tale ending. We all will endure our share of trials. But one thing is certain: The Lord knows how to preserve the righteous. I would rather have his favor than to take the easy way out, wouldn't you?

Trusting him daily,

Sullivan Jones

Hard Work versus Talent

"Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there." - John Wooden

I remember my pastor making the statement that "the problem with our young people many times is that they want to start at the top." Oh how true that statement is! Sometimes it is true of the "not-so-young" as well.

It is easy to see people who have reached a place that we call successful and be envious. What is not apparent at a first glance is the hard work it took for that person to reach the place where they are today. When we see someone with a doctorate degree we don't see the many hours of study, class time, research, and paper writing they put into that degree. It represents more than a title. It speaks of hard work.

The same can be said of a musician or a singer. When we hear a lovely recital we don't think about the long hours of practice it took for us to hear a four minute song. The person may have been born with talent but that talent had to be developed. I have know some gifted, talented young singers who flaunted their God given abilities and thought they didn't need to improve. Today they are not singing. Why? Because talent is only part of the picture. Dedication, hard work, faithfulness, and courage to continue will trump talent every time.

I am often asked, "how long will it take me to learn Spanish". The question is not an easy one to answer. It really depends on the person. Some are more linguistically gifted than others, no doubt. But the bottom line is this: How much are you willing to put into it? I have been studying and speaking Spanish since the age of 16 and I am now 36 years old. For me it has never been about "how quickly can I learn to speak." It has been a passion for learning that drove me onward. Though I will never speak like a native speaker I am comfortable with the language. Yet there will always be more to learn. I never want to feel as if I have arrived.

Is there something you'd like to be able to do? A job you want? Think about it this way. If you were given that position today, would you be able to do it well? If not, how can you prepare yourself? What skills do you need? What discipline do you lack in your life that would make you a good _______. I dare say if you prepare yourself the door will open. But one thing is certain. If you are not prepared the door will never open. I have the job I have today, not because of the education I have, but because of long hours of study and practice and making myself available to the Hispanic Community. Over the years that translated into experience that got me a job. It didn't happen overnight but it did happen.

It is God's will for us to be content and prosperous and doing what we love. If you have a desire to do something, don't hesitate. Start today and try. It may not happen over night but you never know what the end result will be.

Yours in Christ's Service,

Sullivan Jones

The Cycle of Offense

II Timothy 2:24

And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.

 

We live in a world that is more full of strife than it ever has been. It seems that people are so full of anger. They are angry about things that they can not control. Life has a way of being merciless. It has well been noted that hurting people hurt other people in turn. When we are angry we can quickly spill our anger out onto someone else without realizing what we are doing. That person then carries the anger inside until the time is right to spew it out onto someone else. The cycle of offense then continues ...

 

I was in a restaurant last night where the service was pretty terrible. As we approached the restaurant our server of choice was walking up the road away from the restaurant. I don't know if she quit or what. The young lady that was serving us was having a difficult time. The people at our table kept having to ask for the rest of their food; The orders came out with items missing.  You get the picture.

 

I realized at one point that I could either create a scene or be kind. I asked the server if she was doing alright. Her response was "no" with a voice that was kind but very overwhelmed. She told me that a waitress had left and they were very short handed.  I felt my heart go out to her. Perhaps it was her fault that the food was wrong. Perhaps it was the managers fault or the cooks fault. Perhaps it was just a bad night. I don't know. But I realized that I had a choice to either make this young lady's night better or worse. We tried to be as kind as possible and eventually she got the food right. When we left we told her that she did a great job and we tried to leave a good tip.

 

The service wasn't the best but she was doing her best.  I would rather she went home feeling good about herself than even more disgusted because I was rude to her. I'm not patting myself on the back. There are plenty of times when I have not been near as gracious as I should have in similar situations. But I have asked God to help me learn to be more patient. "For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you". (Matthew 7:2)

 

Lord, help us to be more caring and not so quick to strive. The world needs all the love we can give. In Jesus name, Amen.  

 

Graciously,

 

Pastor Jones