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AND of course we all know that the answer to that question is YES!!! (DUH!!!) But what the question really is WHY??? WHY should we be honest?! Lately God has REALLLLY been testing me with my honesty with people AND MONEY!!!
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There have been sooooooo many times lately where I have had the opportunity to gyp people!!! Not just at my yard sales when I sell things and people give me to much cash but even at stores when i'm payin for stuff and the cashier rings up one bunch of cilantro and I really have two. I can't help it...I feel obligated to tell them the truth...I HAVE to be honest with them...BUT WHY??? Why as Christians do we feel the need to be HONEST???
I know that in the past I have done it because I felt like, if I was HONEST with people, then God would honor my honesty and that people would be honest with me, you know the whole, "You reap what you sow" scripture. BUT you know WHAT I found out??? I found out that JUST BECAUSE I am honest with people, it does NOT mean that people will end up being honest with me. Despite my own honesty, people are still dishonest with me. I'm a rather gullible and trusting person and from time to time, I myself get GYPED!!!
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Its sooooooooooo NOT even cool!!! I'm like UH, hellllllllllooooooo GOD???? Remember HOW I WAS HONEST??? But I discovered something recently!!! I discovered the REAL REASON for why we should be honest with people!!! Its NOT because we want people to be honest with us and we want God to watch out for us, EVEN though we do desire that...
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The answer is really quite simple...We are honest BECAUSE...wait, wait...ARE YOU READY FOR THIS??? Its because the Bible tells us too!!! Its Because one of the ten commandments says, Thou shalt NOT steal!!! And keepin extra money or NOT paying for something we are gettin is STEALING!!! We are honest NOT to be pleasing to people, BUT to be pleasing TO GOD!!!
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God commands us to be honest and when God commands us to do something, He expects us to do it NO MATTER WHAT??? God's expectations for us are not dependent on what HE WILL or WILL NOT do for us and they are NOT dependent on how other people will treat us. Just because I am honest with someone and then someone else in turn rips me off does NOT mean that I can STOP being honest. I have to keep doing right, because that is what God wants from me.
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However, I discovered something really amazing the other day while I was being honest. Aside from being pleasing to God, I discovered ANOTHER really awesome reason for WHY we should be honest with people.
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Quite often, when I tell someone, Oh here you actually gave me to much money, they look VERY SURPRISED that I am telling them. I mean it would be ONE THING if I was workin for a professional business and I was scared about losing my job or whatever for not being honest...BUT when your running a ghetto little yard sale and you let people know that they gave you to much money, THEY ARE REALLY SURPRISED by your HONESTY!!! And they are sooooo greatful and will just thank you for being honest with them...BUT it was the other day that I REALLLLLY nailed it down...THE GREATEST REASON WHY WE SHOULD BE HONEST!!!!!
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So this past weekend I was having a yard sale and a group of men came and they were buying some stuff and after this one man paid he was walkin away and I realized that he had given me an EXTRA dollar!!! And I was like thinkin in my head, OH I'm really bad at math maybe I just figured it out wrong...haha...nice try RIGHT??? ;) And I'm like thinkin to myself, AWWW MAN come on its just a dollar extra...just ONE DOLLAR!!! But i'm like NOPE I gotta give him back his dollar...
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He is about to get in his car and I'm like, oh, uh sir, you actually gave me an extra dollar!!! And he was like, OH THANK YOU!!!! BUT it was what one of the guys he was with said that really caught my attention...after I gave back the one man the extra dollar, He turned to the other men in the group and said, "OH She is a CHRISTIAN!!!" And as soon as he said that I thought, HEEEEEY YOU KNOW WHAT???
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That is WHY I should be honest, aside of course from being pleasing to God...to BE A WITNESS!!! When we do what God wants us to do it is a witness to people. As soon as I was honest about that dollar they KNEW that I was a Christian by my actions. How much greater was my handing them a church card when I had just had the opportunity to show them that I REALLY WAS A CHRISTIAN!!!
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When we do what God wants us to do even when it is hard and we really don't want to, we are being a witness to people. You think I wanted to give that man back his dollar??? HA! NOOOO WAAAAAY!!! I sooooooooo wanted to just keep it...BUT... yeah sure, WE ALL WANT some extra money...even if it is ONLY A DOLLAR...BUT...
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HOW MUCH GREATER is the value of ONE SOUL over ANY amount of money??? Remember that the next time...and ask yourself this question, is this my chance to make an extra buck??? Or is this my chance to be a WITNESS???
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." (Luke 15:10)
THE VALUE!!!
♥Mary Frances :)
