Truth or Consequences!

    Adam Clarke was an assistant in a dry-goods store, selling silks and satins to a cultured clientele.  One day his boss suggested to him that he try stretching the silk as he measured it out; this would increase sales and profits and also increase Adam’s value to the company.  Young Clarke straightened up from his work, faced his boss courageously and said, “Sir, your silk may stretch, but my conscience won’t!”  God honored Adam Clark for being honest by taking him from a dry-goods store and equipping him to write a profound commentary on the books of the Bible.  God always favors honesty with blessings.
    Dr. Madison Sarratt, who taught mathematics at Vanderbilt University for many years, before giving a test would admonish his class something like this: “Today I am giving two exams; one in trigonometry and the other in honesty.  I hope you pass them both.  But if you fail one, fail trigonometry.  There are many good people in the world who can’t pass trig, but there are no good people who cannot pass the test of honesty.”  What an eye opening remark. 
    It would be better to fail math than to flunk the test of honesty.  True, it may not look good on your report card to fail math, but it will sure look good on your character to pass the test of honesty and it will do wonders for your conscience.  Almost every day we are tested on the subject of honesty.  Question!  How we doing?  We have to grade ourselves.  We can fail a class in school and make it up, but to be dishonest, well, that’s a completely different subject. 
    Dishonesty is a shady subject with a bad reputation. People who are caught up in dishonesty are usually looking over their shoulder.  Their lifestyle can actually be more difficult than trig 3.  Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”  Preach it Mark!  We are told that the brain can’t keep up with a lie and it gets confused about the sequence of events where the brain has more of a pure retention with honest facts.
    Our mind is an amazing mechanism. It wants to purge a lie from a liar in the way the skin wants to rid a splinter from the body.  Our mind becomes irritated and has a difficult time keeping untruth straight.  If we do not confess a lie our mind gets polluted becoming a breeding pool for more toxic information.  Many have actually gone beyond the point of no return to become a pathological liar whereby they live in a make-believe world. 
    Thomas Jefferson Gentry said, “One pathway to intimacy with God is through honesty.  We must be honest before Him in every aspect.  Honesty demonstrates openness.  Honesty creates vulnerability.  Honesty admits need.  Honesty is the first chapter in the Book of Wisdom.”  William Shakespeare Emerson wrote, “No legacy is so rich as honesty.”  King Solomon wrote, “They that deal truly are His delight.”  We are known by our name and our name is wrapped up in the reputation of truth or lies.   J. C. is pastor of Joy Christian Ministries W. Sac.

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