CBS FOR THE WEEK OF 14december2009

Chapter 14 Be Honest in All Things

“We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”—HEBREWS 13:18.

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“Keep Yourselves in God’s Love” Page Week of December 14, 2009

A MOTHER and her little boy leave a store together. Suddenly, the child stops, a look of shock on his face. In his hand he is holding a small toy that he picked up in the store. He forgot to put it back or to ask his mother if she would buy it. He cries out to her, distressed. She reassures him and takes him back into the store so that he can return the item and apologize. As he does so, the mother’s heart swells with joy and pride. Why?

2 Few things delight parents more than seeing that their children are learning the importance of honesty. And so it is with our heavenly Father, “the God of truth.” (Psalm 31:5) As he watches us grow to spiritual maturity, he is pleased to see us striving to be honest. Because we want to please him and remain in his love, we echo the sentiments expressed by the apostle Paul: “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.” (Hebrews 13:18) Let us focus on four main areas of life in which we may at times find it a special challenge to be honest. Then we will consider some of the blessings that come as a result.

1, 2. Why is Jehovah pleased when he sees our efforts to be honest? Illustrate.

(Psalm 31:5) Into your hand I entrust my spirit. You have redeemed me, O Jehovah the God of truth.

(Hebrews 13:18) Carry on prayer for us, for we trust we have an honest conscience, as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.

HONESTY WITH OURSELVES

3 Our first challenge is to learn to be honest with ourselves. It is very easy for us as imperfect humans to succumb to self-deception. For instance, Jesus told the Christians in Laodicea that they had fooled themselves into thinking that they were rich when, in fact, they were “poor and blind and naked” spiritually—a truly pitiable state. (Revelation 3:17) Their self-deception only made their situation more dangerous.

4 You may recall, too, that the disciple James warned: “If any man seems to himself to be a formal worshiper and yet does not bridle his tongue, but goes on deceiving his own heart, this man’s form of worship is futile.” (James 1:26) If we were to reason that we could misuse our tongue and still worship Jehovah acceptably, we would succeed only in deceiving our own heart. Our worship of Jehovah would be futile, an utter waste. What can keep us from such a sad course?

5 In that same passage, James likens the truth of God’s word to a mirror. He advises us to peer into God’s perfect law and make adjustments accordingly. (James 1:23-25) The Bible can help us to be honest with ourselves and to see what we need to do to improve. (Lamentations 3:40; Haggai 1:5) We may also pray to Jehovah and ask him to examine us, helping us to see and to address any serious flaws. (Psalm 139:23, 24) Dishonesty is an insidious weakness, and we need to view it as our heavenly Father does. Proverbs 3:32 says: “The devious person is a detestable thing to Jehovah, but His intimacy is with the upright ones.” Jehovah can help us to feel as he does and to see ourselves as he sees us. Remember that Paul said: “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly.” We cannot be perfect now, but we sincerely desire and earnestly seek to be honest.

3-5. (a) How does God’s Word warn us about the dangers of self-deception? (b) What will help us to be honest with ourselves?

(Revelation 3:17) Because you say: “I am rich and have acquired riches and do not need anything at all,” but you do not know you are miserable and pitiable and poor and blind and naked,

(James 1:26) If any man seems to himself to be a formal worshiper and yet does not bridle his tongue, but goes on deceiving his own heart, this man’s form of worship is futile.

(James 1:23-25) For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is. 25 But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in [it], this [man], because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing [it].

(Lamentations 3:40) Do let us search out our ways and explore them, and do let us return clear to Jehovah.

(Haggai 1:5) And now this is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘Set YOUR heart upon YOUR ways.

(Psalm 139:23-24) Search through me, O God, and know my heart. Examine me, and know my disquieting thoughts, 24 And see whether there is in me any painful way, And lead me in the way of time indefinite.

(Proverbs 3:32) For the devious person is a detestable thing to Jehovah, but His intimacy is with the upright ones.

HONESTY IN THE FAMILY

6 Honesty should be a hallmark of the Christian family. Husband and wife, then, must be open and honest with each other. There is no room in a Christian marriage for such hurtful, unclean practices as flirting with those outside the marriage, cultivating clandestine relationships via the Internet, or using pornography in any form. Some married Christians have taken up such wrong conduct while concealing it from an innocent mate. Doing so is dishonest. Notice the words of faithful King David: “I have not sat with men of untruth; and with those who hide what they are I do not come in.” (Psalm 26:4) If you are married, never engage in conduct that might tempt you to hide what you are from your mate!

6. Why do marriage mates need to be honest with each other, and what dangers do they thus avoid?

(Psalm 26:4) I have not sat with men of untruth; And with those who hide what they are I do not come in.

7 In teaching their children the value of honesty, parents are wise to make use of Bible examples. On the negative side, there are such accounts as that of Achan, who stole and attempted to cover his theft; Gehazi, who lied for the sake of financial gain; and Judas, who stole and lied spitefully to harm Jesus.—Joshua 6:17-19; 7:11-25; 2 Kings 5:14-16, 20-27; Matthew 26:14, 15; John 12:6.

8 On the positive side, there are such accounts as that of Jacob, who urged his sons to return money they found in their bags because he felt that it might have been put there by mistake; that of Jephthah and his daughter, who honored her father’s vow at great personal sacrifice; and that of Jesus, who bravely identified himself before a vicious mob in order to fulfill prophecy and protect his friends. (Genesis 43:12; Judges 11:30-40; John 18:3-11) This partial list may give parents a taste of the riches found in God’s Word that can help them teach their children to love and value honesty.

7, 8. What Bible examples can help children to learn the value of honesty?

(Joshua 6:17-19) And the city must become a thing devoted to destruction; it with everything that is in it belongs to Jehovah. Only Ra′hab the prostitute may keep on living, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers whom we sent out. 18 As for YOU people, only keep away from the thing devoted to destruction, for fear YOU may get a desire and YOU do take some of the thing devoted to destruction and do constitute the camp of Israel a thing devoted to destruction and bring ostracism upon it. 19 But all the silver and the gold and the articles of copper and iron are something holy to Jehovah. Into the treasure of Jehovah it should go.”

(Joshua 7:11-25) Israel has sinned, and they have also overstepped my covenant that I laid as a command upon them; and they have also taken some of the thing devoted to destruction and have also stolen and also kept it secret and have also put it among their own articles. 12 And the sons of Israel will not be able to rise up against their enemies. The back is what they will turn before their enemies, because they have become a thing devoted to destruction. I shall not prove to be with YOU again unless YOU annihilate the thing devoted to destruction out of YOUR midst. 13 Get up! Sanctify the people, and you must say, ‘Sanctify yourselves tomorrow, for this is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said: “A thing devoted to destruction is in your midst, O Israel. You will not be able to rise up against your enemies until YOU people have removed the thing devoted to destruction from YOUR midst. 14 And YOU must present yourselves in the morning, tribe by tribe, and it must occur that the tribe that Jehovah will pick will come near, family by family, and the family that Jehovah will pick will come near, household by household, and the household that Jehovah will pick will come near, able-bodied man by able-bodied man. 15 And it must occur that the one picked with the thing devoted to destruction will be burned with fire, he and all that belongs to him, because he has overstepped the covenant of Jehovah and because he has committed a disgraceful folly in Israel.”’” 16 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and had Israel come near, tribe by tribe of it, and the tribe of Judah got to be picked. 17 Next he had the families of Judah come near and picked the family of the Ze′rah·ites, after which he had the family of the Ze′rah·ites come near, able-bodied man by able-bodied man, and Zab′di got to be picked. 18 Finally he had his household come near, able-bodied man by able-bodied man, and A′chan the son of Car′mi, the son of Zab′di, the son of Ze′rah, of the tribe of Judah, got to be picked. 19 Then Joshua said to A′chan: “My son, render, please, glory to Jehovah the God of Israel and make confession to him, and tell me, please, What have you done? Do not hide it from me.” 20 At this A′chan answered Joshua and said: “For a fact I—I have sinned against Jehovah the God of Israel, and this way and that way I have done. 21 When I got to see among the spoil an official garment from Shi′nar, a good-looking one, and two hundred shekels of silver and one gold bar, fifty shekels being its weight, then I wanted them, and I took them; and, look! they are hidden in the earth in the midst of my tent with the money underneath it.” 22 At once Joshua sent messengers, and they went running to the tent, and, look! it was hidden in his tent with the money underneath it. 23 So they took them from the midst of the tent and brought them to Joshua and all the sons of Israel and poured them out before Jehovah. 24 Joshua, and all Israel with him, now took A′chan the son of Ze′rah and the silver and the official garment and the bar of gold and his sons and his daughters and his bull and his ass and his flock and his tent and everything that was his and they brought them up to the low plain of A′chor. 25 Then Joshua said: “Why have you brought ostracism upon us? Jehovah will bring ostracism upon you on this day.” With that all Israel went pelting him with stones, after which they burned them with fire. Thus they stoned them with stones.

(2 Kings 5:14-16) At that he went down and began to plunge into the Jordan seven times according to the word of the man of the [true] God; after which his flesh came back like the flesh of a little boy and he became clean. 15 Then he went back to the man of the [true] God, he with all his camp, and came and stood before him and said: “Here, now, I certainly know that there is no God anywhere in the earth but in Israel. And now accept, please, a blessing gift from your servant.” 16 However, he said: “As Jehovah before whom I do stand is living, I will not accept it.” And he began to urge him to accept it, but he kept refusing.

(2 Kings 5:20-27) Then Ge·ha′zi the attendant of E·li′sha the man of the [true] God said: “Here my master has spared Na′a·man this Syrian by not accepting from his hand what he brought. As Jehovah is living, I will run after him and take something from him.” 21 And Ge·ha′zi went chasing after Na′a·man. When Na′a·man saw someone running after him, he at once got down from his chariot to meet him and then said: “Is all well?” 22 To this he said: “All is well. My master himself has sent me, saying, ‘Look! Just now there have come to me two young men from the mountainous region of E′phra·im from the sons of the prophets. Do give them, please, a talent of silver and two changes of garments.’” 23 At that Na′a·man said: “Go on, take two talents.” And he kept urging him and finally bound up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and gave them to two of his attendants, that they might carry them before him. 24 When he came to O′phel, he immediately took them from their hand and deposited them in the house and sent the men away. So off they went. 25 And he himself came in and then stood by his master. E·li′sha now said to him: “Where [did you come] from, Ge·ha′zi?” But he said: “Your servant did not go anywhere at all.” 26 At that he said to him: “Did not my heart itself go along just as the man turned [to get down] off his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to accept silver or to accept garments or olive groves or vineyards or sheep or cattle or menservants or maidservants? 27 So the leprosy of Na′a·man will stick to you and your offspring to time indefinite.” Immediately he went out from before him, a leper white as snow.

(Matthew 26:14-15) Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Is·car′i·ot, went to the chief priests 15 and said: “What will YOU give me to betray him to YOU?” They stipulated to him thirty silver pieces.

(John 12:6) He said this, though, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief and had the money box and used to carry off the monies put in it.

(Genesis 43:12) Also, take double the money in YOUR hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of YOUR bags YOU will take back in YOUR hand. Maybe it was a mistake.

(Judges 11:30-40) Then Jeph′thah made a vow to Jehovah and said: “If you without fail give the sons of Am′mon into my hand, 31 it must also occur that the one coming out, who comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the sons of Am′mon, must also become Jehovah’s, and I must offer that one up as a burnt offering.” 32 So Jeph′thah passed along to the sons of Am′mon to fight against them, and Jehovah proceeded to give them into his hand. 33 And he went striking them from A·ro′er all the way to Min′nith—twenty cities—and as far as A′bel-ker′a·mim with a very great slaughter. Thus the sons of Am′mon were subdued before the sons of Israel. 34 Finally Jeph′thah came to Miz′pah to his home, and, look! his daughter coming out to meet him with tambourine playing and dancing! Now she was absolutely the only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came about that when he caught sight of her, he began to rip his garments and to say: “Alas, my daughter! You have indeed made me bend down, and you yourself have become the one I was ostracizing. And I—I have opened my mouth to Jehovah, and I am unable to turn back.” 36 But she said to him: “My father, if you have opened your mouth to Jehovah, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth, since Jehovah has executed acts of vengeance for you upon your enemies, the sons of Am′mon.” 37 And she went on to say to her father: “Let this thing be done to me: Let me alone for two months, and let me go, and I will descend upon the mountains, and let me weep over my virginity, I and my girl companions.” 38 At this he said: “Go!” So he sent her away for two months; and she kept going, she with her girl companions, and weeping over her virginity upon the mountains. 39 And it came about at the end of two months that she made her return to her father, after which he carried out his vow that he had made toward her. As for her, she never had relations with a man. And it came to be a regulation in Israel: 40 From year to year the daughters of Israel would go to give commendation to the daughter of Jeph′thah the Gil′e·ad·ite, four days in the year.

(John 18:3-11) Therefore Judas took the soldier band and officers of the chief priests and of the Pharisees and came there with torches and lamps and weapons. 4 Jesus, therefore, knowing all the things coming upon him, went forth and said to them: “Whom are YOU looking for?” 5 They answered him: “Jesus the Naz·a·rene′.” He said to them: “I am [he].” Now Judas, his betrayer, was also standing with them. 6 However, when he said to them: “I am [he],” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 Therefore he asked them again: “Whom are YOU looking for?” They said: “Jesus the Naz·a·rene′.” 8 Jesus answered: “I told YOU I am [he]. If, therefore, it is I YOU are looking for, let these go”; 9 in order that the word might be fulfilled which he said: “Of those whom you have given me I have not lost a single one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, as he had a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the high priest and cut his right ear off. The name of the slave was Malchus. 11 Jesus, however, said to Peter: “Put the sword into [its] sheath. The cup that the Father has given me, should I not by all means drink it?”

9 Such teaching places an important obligation on parents. The apostle Paul asked: “Do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching ‘Do not steal,’ do you steal?” (Romans 2:21) Some parents confuse their children by teaching about honesty while acting dishonestly themselves. They may justify petty theft and deceptive words with such excuses as “Oh, they expect people to take these things” or “That was just a little white lie, a fib.” In reality, stealing is stealing, regardless of the value of the item stolen, and lying is lying, regardless of the subject matter or the scope of the untruth. (Luke 16:10) Children are quick to detect hypocrisy and may be seriously damaged by it. (Ephesians 6:4) However, when they learn honesty from their parents’ examples, they may well grow up to glorify Jehovah in this dishonest world.—Proverbs 22:6.

9. What should parents avoid if they want to set an example of honesty for their children, and why is such an example important?

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(Romans 2:21) do you, however, the one teaching someone else, not teach yourself? You, the one preaching “Do not steal,” do you steal?

(Luke 16:10) The person faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and the person unrighteous in what is least is unrighteous also in much.

(Ephesians 6:4) And YOU, fathers, do not be irritating YOUR children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah.

(Proverbs 22:6) Train up a boy according to the way for him; even when he grows old he will not turn aside from it.