Building Character Through Honesty
The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in trustworthy people Proverbs 12:22
Honesty is holding onto Biblical principles and being consistent with them. As Christians, we are called to walk with God and to obey his commandments. We live in a world of dishonesty and fake realities that drift far from God's path. We are presented with countless temptations aiming to destroy us because they cause us to be dishonest with ourselves, others, and God. (Psalm 15:2; 25:5; John 16:6; 17; 2 Cor. 8:21; Ephesians 4:15; 25; Philippians. 4:8)
Dishonesty and Lying are the opposites. These rotten fruits will cause us to seek dishonest gain and step on others to get our way. It will allow us to believe "the ends justify the means" when God has the means as His will. Such as the journey to know God's will is God's will, not just the goal. Is. The way we live our lives is more important than the goals we obtain!
- Here are positive examples from Scripture (Gen. 31: 36-42; 43:11-12; Matt. 26:59-64)
- Here is are negative examples from Scripture (Gen. 26: 9-11; 2 Sam. 11:1-27; Esther 7:1-10; John 12:6; Acts 5:1-10)
Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. Luke: 47-48
In this parable, Jesus describes one who hears his words and does them as a man who, when building his house, digs his foundation deeply and upon the rock. When the flood threatens it, the house remains intact on its secure base
Jesus' metaphor in the parable is like a man's Character is like a house. Every thought is like a piece of timber, every habit beam, every imagination window, well or poorly placed. They all gather into a unity, beautiful or outrageous. We decide how that house is constructed.
Unless 1 builds his Character on the rock-solid foundation of God's word, he will indeed be swept away by the flood now engulfing the world. First Corinthians 3:11 says, "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Dishonesty is a habit. Once we start bending the truth, we're likely to keep turning it. Honesty, like its counterpart, is also a habit. Such habit pays powerful bonuses for those who place Character above convenience.
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved." Helen Keller
"No man can use his Bible with power unless he has the character of Jesus in his heart.” Alan Redpath
Joseph purposed early in his life to be a person of vision and integrity. He lived his life – each day – with his God-dream/vision and integrity in mind. He lived so that each day and each day's decision served as building blocks in constructing the man of God that he ultimately became. Just like a building is not built overnight but is built block by block and day by day, our lives are constructed decision by decision, act by act, and thought by thought. Don’t miss this point when you study Joseph: Today matters! Obedience today matters! Faithfulness today builds a great marriage and a great future! A person of great character is built one decision, one choice, and one day at a time.
Sources:
100 days of Character by Stephen Arterburn
https://bcachurch.com/integrity-becoming-person-great-character/