Why They Strive to Be Honest at All Times
Victorine, Victoire and Blaise live in different areas and do not know one another. They do, however, have something in common. They are Jehovah's Witnesses, who uphold what the Bible says about honesty. They await the fulfillment of God's promise of a new world. "There are new heaves and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell." All people living them will be righteous -and honest. -2 Peter 3:13.
Victorine has little hope that her financial situation will improve to any great degree until God changes things. Nevertheless, she is spiritually rich, something that money cannot buy. Her children are honest and well-mannered. Every Sunday they "bubble over" when they speak to their neighbor about God's goodness and explain how he will satisfy "all those who call upon him in trueness" and will guard "all those loving him." -Psalm 145:7,18, 20.
In time, Victoire left the palm-oil processing plant. She struck out on her own and sold garri (a kind of grits made from cassava) at the market. Her honesty attracted more customers. In time, she was soon able to reduce her time at the market to spend more time speaking to others about the prospect o living in a world free of dishonesty. She later married, and she and her husband now serve as full-time ministers.
Christine lost her money in front of a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Blaise knew few in attendance at the meeting, but he did know that they were his Christian brothers and sisters, who try to be honest at all times.
How many people do you know who sincerely strive to be honest at all times? Just imagine being with 50, 100, or 200 persons who are. That is the happy experience of Jehovah's Witnesses at their Kingdom Halls. Why not go there and get acquainted with them?
Next time: THE FAMILY -An Emergency Case!
Watchtower, 2010
Showing posts with label Being Honest Can be Rewarding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Being Honest Can be Rewarding. Show all posts
5.05.2011
5.04.2011
Should You Be Honest at All Times?
"Finders Keepers"
How do you feel when you find something valuable that someone has lost? To many, this arouses immediate feelings of possession, causing them to wave aside any thought of returning it. They have a "finders keepers" philosophy. Some may feel that there is no harm done. After all, they reason the owner has undoubtedly written it off as a loss. Others say that it is not their responsibility to seek out the owner - a chore that might entail a lot of effort.
How does God view the matter? Deuteronomy 22:1-3 shows that a finder was not simply to keep the item he finds but rather to keep it "until he [the owner] claims it, and then give it back to him." (The New English Bible) If the finder did not make known his find, he could have been accused of stealing. (Exodus 22:9) Is this practical today? Christine is convinced that it is.
Christine is the director of a private school. One Wednesday, she picked up her month's salary in cash. In typical West African fashion, she bundled the bills and stuffed them in her bag. She then flagged down a motorcycle taxi and sped off to a meeting. On arriving, she fumbled in her bag for coins to pay the driver. In the darkness, the bundle of bills fell to the ground unnoticed.
Minutes later, a 19-year old Blaise, a stranger to the area, came down the street. He had arranged to meet a friend at the same meeting that Christine attended. He spotted the bundle of bills and put them into his pocket. At the end of the meeting, he informed his friend that he had found something outside and that anyone who had lost something could phone him and identify it.
When Christine got home that evening she was shocked to discover that her month's pay was missing. A week later, when she revealed the loss to her friend Josephine, she was told that a visitor at that meeting has found something. Christine phoned Blaise and identified the denominations of the bills. She was overjoyed when Blaise returned the money. What about Blaise? He had kept the money for a week, but he said, "the joy I experienced from returning the money was greater than that from keeping it."
Next time: Why They Strive to Be Honest at All Times
Watchtower, 2010
How do you feel when you find something valuable that someone has lost? To many, this arouses immediate feelings of possession, causing them to wave aside any thought of returning it. They have a "finders keepers" philosophy. Some may feel that there is no harm done. After all, they reason the owner has undoubtedly written it off as a loss. Others say that it is not their responsibility to seek out the owner - a chore that might entail a lot of effort.
How does God view the matter? Deuteronomy 22:1-3 shows that a finder was not simply to keep the item he finds but rather to keep it "until he [the owner] claims it, and then give it back to him." (The New English Bible) If the finder did not make known his find, he could have been accused of stealing. (Exodus 22:9) Is this practical today? Christine is convinced that it is.
Christine is the director of a private school. One Wednesday, she picked up her month's salary in cash. In typical West African fashion, she bundled the bills and stuffed them in her bag. She then flagged down a motorcycle taxi and sped off to a meeting. On arriving, she fumbled in her bag for coins to pay the driver. In the darkness, the bundle of bills fell to the ground unnoticed.
Minutes later, a 19-year old Blaise, a stranger to the area, came down the street. He had arranged to meet a friend at the same meeting that Christine attended. He spotted the bundle of bills and put them into his pocket. At the end of the meeting, he informed his friend that he had found something outside and that anyone who had lost something could phone him and identify it.
When Christine got home that evening she was shocked to discover that her month's pay was missing. A week later, when she revealed the loss to her friend Josephine, she was told that a visitor at that meeting has found something. Christine phoned Blaise and identified the denominations of the bills. She was overjoyed when Blaise returned the money. What about Blaise? He had kept the money for a week, but he said, "the joy I experienced from returning the money was greater than that from keeping it."
Next time: Why They Strive to Be Honest at All Times
Watchtower, 2010
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