Can’t Put a Price on Honesty and Integrity

Recently on social media there was a video circulating of a convenience store owner who apparently decided to test the honesty and integrity of his customers. What transpires is something that could bring tears to chunk of granite.

 

The store owner is shown placing money – it appears to be four or five $20 bills – between two bags of chips close to the door. A boy probably about 10 years old comes in a few minutes afterward and, as if on cue, grabs the top bag of chips. He spots the money and picks it up, looking a bit confused.

 

“What’s he going to do?” the viewer wonders. The answer comes quickly. The young boy takes the chips and the money to the checkout counter, then gives the money to the owner. There’s no audio, but apparently the person at the checkout counter thanks the boy for his honesty, then walks away, takes a small drink cup and puts the money in it without the boy seeing what he’s doing. He covers the cup with the bag of chips and gives it to the boy.

 

The boy leaves, but just outside the door looks into the cup, sees the money and after a momentary pause, turns and re-enters the store. He walks up to the counter and again presents the money with a puzzled expression, thinking there must be some mistake.

 

In the last scene, the video shows the boy in tears, having been told that because of his honesty he can keep the money.

 

Wow! I’m presuming this video was genuine, but even if it were staged, isn’t it a refreshing image for us to ponder? Especially in these days when so many people feel entitled; when cities have experienced terrible riots along with rampant looting; when factions in our society are telling folks they’re not responsible for their own poor financial decisions. 

 

But what struck me most after watching the video was this youngster must have been raised in a home where values like honesty and integrity have been imparted very strongly.

 

Remember the old days of “Finder’s keepers, loser’s weepers?” It makes me wonder how we would react if any of us were in a similar situation. Would we regard it as “found money” and stealthily stick it in our pockets, or would we do as the boy in the video – mature beyond his years in terms of values – did in trying to find its rightful owner?

 

The video reminded me of a story in chapters 41-45 of Genesis, the Bible’s first book, even though the circumstances were very different. Joseph was sold into slavery by his older brothers, but through a series of events was elevated to a rank of authority in Egypt second only to Pharaoh. When a severe famine struck the entire region, the brothers were sent to Egypt by their father, Jacob, to purchase grain. Unbeknownst to them, the person they would have to deal was the brother they had betrayed. 

 

As governor, Joseph was in charge of grain distribution. Since many years had passed, the brothers didn’t recognize him, but he immediately knew who they were. Joseph chose not to reveal who he was, but interrogated them harshly, battling to restrain his emotions. 

 

Finally, he agreed to sell them the much-needed grain, but with a couple of twists. One was they leave behind one brother, basically as a security deposit, while they returned home to get their youngest brother whom they had told Joseph about. The other was the secret order he gave that the silver they had used to pay for the grain be covertly put back into their sacks.

 

On their way home, the brothers discovered the silver. “What’s up with this?!” they wondered, suspecting something was amiss. They already lacked brother Simeon, left in Egypt until they could return with their little brother, Benjamin. At their father Jacob's insistence, they soon went back to Egypt with young Ben, along with double the amount of silver to prove they weren’t thieves. From there the story gets even more complicated, but that’s for another time.

 

The chapters don’t specify exactly what was going through Joseph’s mind, but it’s likely his actions were prompted by spite and residual anger. However, they also might have been his way of testing his brothers’ integrity. Because in a sense, integrity and honesty are a little like being pregnant – either you have it, or you don’t. He wanted to know whether they had experienced a change of heart.

 

Integrity is a big deal with the Lord. David, long before he became king of Israel, was described as “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13;14). Why? Psalm 78:72 gives us one indication. It says, “And David shepherded [his sheep] with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”

 

The Lord also wants this noble trait passed down from one generation to the next. Speaking to King Solomon after he had completed building the temple and the royal palace, God said, “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness, as David your father did, and do all I command and observe my decrees and laws, I will establish our royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father…” (1 Kings 9:4).

 

And in the wisdom book largely written by Solomon, it states, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3), and “Righteousness guards the man of integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner” (Proverbs 13:6).

If only we could find many others like the young man in the convenience store, who valued integrity much higher than any personal gain he could have justified as “found money.” We need more of that and much less of the duplicity and deceit demonstrated so publicly every day in our world, especially among our leaders. 

Proverbs Always Worth Pondering

For many years, I’ve found reading a chapter of Proverbs corresponding with the date of the month very profitable. The wisdom and insights this single book of the Bible offers are astonishing. Even for someone that doesn’t believe in God, reading Proverbs regularly would be very beneficial.

In fact, I authored a book some years back, Business At Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace, giving many examples of how it relates to the 21^stcentury world of work. I’ve referred to some of the principles from time to time in this blog, and can’t help but wonder about the difference it would make if more people not only read Proverbs, but put what it says into practice.

Being one of the so-called “wisdom books” of the Bible, Proverbs starts with saying much about the value of wisdom itself. It observes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:7). Sounds a tad intolerant perhaps, but at least the primary author, King Solomon of Israel, didn’t mince words.

Need advice on personal financial management? Proverbs 3:9-10 has this to say: “Honor the Lord with your wealth, and the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.” As has sometimes been said, you can’t out-give God. So giving to support His work will never leave you short. 

Industrialist R.G. LeTourneau for much of his life practiced what could be termed a “reverse tithe” – giving 90 percent of his income to charitable causes and keeping only 10 percent. He explained it this way: “I try to shovel out more for God than He can for me, but He always wins. He’s got a bigger shovel.”

We so often hear and read about people – respected individuals – who fall prey to many forms of temptation. Regarding those pitfalls, Proverbs offers this simple admonition: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Emotional impulses sometimes lead to actions we otherwise would not consider rationally, so making sure our hearts are in the right place, always putting God first and then others close to us, can protect ourselves from potential snares.

There are those who regard biblical teaching as restrictive, even archaic. But according to the writer of Proverbs, observing what it says can ensure a joyous, fulfilling life. “For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life” (Proverbs 6:23).

Occasionally, Proverbs provides vivid pictures of what can happen when we choose to disobey God’s laws and commands. None is clearer than the description of a young man who succumbed to an attractive female’s seductions: “With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose…little knowing it will cost him his life” (Proverbs 7:21-23).

Reports of unethical behavior and wrongdoing seem sadly commonplace these days, not only in the business world but also in the realms of politics, the news and entertainment media, and even the Church. Concerning that we find this warning:“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9).

I’ve cited this passage before, but it’s a special favorite of mine – since it pertains to a weakness I have – and it’s always worth reviewing: “In the abundance of words transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19). Another verse reinforces that truth: “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue” (Proverbs 17:28). I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tried to remind myself of that.

There are numerous other examples to cite, but in view of the epidemic of arrogance and excessive pride that seems to afflict our society – on every side of the political and ideological spectrum – here are three more verses that seem appropriate:

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

“Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor” (Proverbs 18:12).

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4).

These just scratch the surface. I highly recommend reading Proverbs to start off every day. It’s an inexhaustible source of wisdom for many of the issues and problems we deal with every day. As the old TV commercial used to say, “Try it. You’ll like it!”

It's Not Rare to Err - Or to Cover It Up

Have you seen one of those sitcom episodes where one of the main characters does something careless or foolish, but instead of ‘fessin’ up to it, proceeds to lie about it instead? That falsehood leads to another, then another, until the magnitude of the original issue is dwarfed by the dilemma it has grown into. The deception becomes far worse than the original deed.

“Why didn’t they just admit what they did in the first place?” we wonder, caught up as viewers in the fictitious circumstances. “They turned a little molehill into a mountain.” Of course, if they had addressed the situation when it occurred, it would have spoiled the TV comedy’s storyline. But sometimes we do the same thing in real life and often, unlike the sitcoms, the end result isn’t funny-ha-ha.

Walt Disney's Pinocchio, and
pal, Jiminy Cricket, are icons
for the perils of dishonesty.

And yet, “To err is human,” right? We’ve all heard somebody say that. You’ve probably said it yourself. And it’s true – nobody’s perfect. In fact, some people seem determined to turn their imperfections into a fine art. Everyone makes mistakes, so what’s the big deal?

Well, just as to err is human, so it seems the practice of trying to cover it up is, too. Think Adam and Eve and the proverbial fig leaves. Politics and politicians have provided us with countless glowing examples – consider Watergate, Monica Lewinsky, Iran-Contra, or Benghazi just for starters. Then there are scandals in business, the entertainment world, manufacturing, the sciences, education, and sadly, even in the realm of religion. For all segments of society, cover-ups are common.

Rather than stepping up immediately and admitting what was done – or not done – for whatever reason we have a tendency to try and sweep it under the rug, so to speak. (Not easy to do these days, especially if you only have hardwood floors!)

Not long ago I came across an interesting quote by somebody named Dan Heist that fits here: “When you realize you’ve made a mistake, make amends immediately. It’s easier to eat crow while it’s still warm.” Crow doesn’t sound appetizing at any temperature, but his advice has a lot of merit. Why complicate our deceptions?

Sometimes, however, admitting to our errors is difficult. Maybe it’s a matter of pride, reluctance to concede we’ve made a mistake. Or we fear the repercussions, so we unwisely choose to conceal the truth, hoping it will never be exposed so no one will ever know the difference. The problem is, if and when the truth does materialize – as is typically the case, sooner or later – consequences are generally compounded.

This is one reason the Bible places such a high premium on honesty, even including it among the Ten Commandments: “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). This commandment not only tells us what we shouldn’t do – to be dishonest, deceptive or to conceal the facts – but also instructs us to be truthful and forthright in our dealings with others.

In Proverbs, we read repeatedly how costly it can be to be dishonest about our mistakes and wrongdoing. For instance, “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free” (Proverbs 19:5).

The value of integrity shouldn’t be underestimated, we’re told. “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (Proverbs 10:9). Being willing to admit our mistakes is like driving on a smoothly paved highway, while deception gives a “ride” more like a bumpy, hole-filled country road: “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (Proverbs 11:3).

In numerous other passages the Bible addresses honesty, dishonesty and integrity, but one verse in particular uses interesting imagery to applaud the virtues of being truthful in all of our dealings: “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips” (Proverbs 24:26).

To err definitely is human, just as it is human to sin – to miss the mark of God’s perfect standard. But as we strive to do better, the best approach is at least to be honest about when we fall short, even if it’s uncomfortable or painful. As Heist observed, if you’re going to have to eat crow, it’s best to do so while it’s still warm.