Honesty is the Best Policy

I have heard people say that, "There is nothing straight in a Chinese except may be his hair." I do not really know how true this is but I thank God that I am first a Christian and then a Chinese. And
this does give me some measure of confidence to deal with this topic called 'Honesty.'

Honesty, people say, is the best policy. To be honest is to be truthful, frank and straight forward. An honest man is one who would not be crooked even if he could get away with it. He knows no lying, no cheating and no hanky panky. All his ways are noble. A famous English poet, Alexander Pope, once described an honest man to be the noblest work of God.

But like all good virtues, honesty is hard to find nowadays. The Gospel of this world preaches that honesty is a thing of the past and to succeed in today's competitive world, one needs to be cunning, not honest. This spirit, unfortunately, has caught up with many people. Yet despite what negative things the world may say about honesty, I honestly, still believe it to be the best policy.

The first reason why we need to be honest is because it can help us to solve our problems more effectively. Honestly will give us a real and total picture of our problem. This, in return, will enable us to get to the root of our problem. And once we get to the root of the problem, it will be easier for us to find the solution. On the other hand, dishonesty will only complicate the problem and make it more difficult to solve, especially later on. A lot of time and energy will also be wasted.

It is in this respect that the court sees honesty as the most important aspect in solving its cases. Before one can testify in court, he is sworn by the following oath: "I promise to speak the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth. So help me God." Only then can he testify because he is now expected to be honest. But should he be caught being dishonest, then he can be charged with perjury which can carry a penalty up to 6/7 years in jail or even more, depending on its severity. This is how serious the court treats honesty in its problem solving. Are we doing the same in our lives?

The second reason why we need to be honest is that it helps our reputation. People will trust us if we are honest. Honesty breeds confidence and friendship in people. Once people realize that we have cheated them, it is so difficult to win back their trust, especially if that person happens to be your spouse or loved ones!

When I was small, one of my favourite stories is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' taken from Aesop Fables. In this story, the boy bought misfortune upon himself for being dishonest. He tricked the villagers one time too many by crying, 'Wolf! Wolf!" when there was no wolf. And when the wolf finally made an appearance, no one came to his aid despite his cries. They had simply lost trust in him. As Abraham Lincoln so aptly put it, "You can cheat all the people sometimes, some people all the time but not all people all the time." When they find out, there will be a lot of unpleasantness and it is definitely not worth it.

Reason number three why we must be honest is because honesty is good for our health, both mentally and physically. You see when we lie, we must always remember what we have said in case people check on us. Worse still, to cover this lie, we have to create another lie, and another and another. There is no end to it and it can be quite tortuous to remember them all.

But this problem does not arise if we tell the truth. There is a Jewish proverb which says, "If you speak the truth, you don't have to remember." There is no need to hide or worry. Our conscience will be clear and our poor heart can relax and I can assure you, you will sleep well at night. The truth will set you free.

In a world that is so torn by lies and half-truths, it is important for us to be able to say "Yes" for a yes and "No' for a no. Being honest does make a difference to our lives, eventually. Once a house-builder was asked by his boss to build a bungalow. He was given all the neccessary materials to build a beautiful bungalow on a hilltop overlooking the sea. Now, being, dishonest, this man tried to cheat and cut corners. He was putting more sand than cement, the wiring was poorly done, the floor unevened, walls cracking and so forth. He even sold off quality materials in exchange for poor ones. Within months, the hastily-built house was completed.

Then one day, in a dinner given by the company, his boss made a surprise annoucement. Refering to the man, he gladly announced:"In appreciation to your long service to this company, I now with great pleasure present to you the keys to the bungalow you have been building." Gosh, it was only there and then that he realized the cost of his dishonesty but it was too late. Had he been honest, he would have build himself and his family a lovely bungalow.

In many ways, my friends, we may be like this man. God has given us so much of grace to lead a good life but often we have chosen to settle for less. Let us today resolve to do better than that. Let us give honesty a chance by being truthful in our lives. True, it may not be easy. At times, it might even seem foolish to be honest. But I sincerely believe if we perservere in bearing witness to the truth, the truth will vindicate us and in due time, we will be able to experience the abundant blessings that come with it, proving that honesty is indeed the best policy.

(Adapted from a talk given during a Charismatic Renewal Meeting in St Francis De Sales Church, Sitiawan in 1994)