Hitoshi worked in the accounting office of an employment agency in Japan. While reviewing a financial account with his superior, Hitoshi was told that he was expected to make a falsified report. Hitoshi explained that his conscience would not let him do dishonest work. As a result, Hitoshi’s superior threatened to fire him, and he ultimately lost his job. In the months that followed, Hitoshi became downhearted over his employment prospects. During one job interview, for instance, Hitoshi mentioned that he could not engage in dishonest work. The interviewer responded, “Your way of thinking is strange!” Hitoshi’s family and friends encouraged him to remain firm in his resolve to be honest, yet he began to have some doubts. For instance, he said, “I wondered if being honest about my faith was a good idea.” Hitoshi’s experience is a disturbing reminder that not everyone prizes honesty. In fact, some may even view it as a liability, particularly in the business community. “I’m surrounded by people who are dishonest,” said a working woman in South Africa, “and sometimes the pressure to conform is very great.” One form of dishonesty that is particularly widespread today is lying. Some years ago, a study by Robert S. Feldman, a psychologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, determined that 60 percent of adults lie at least once during a ten-minute conversation. “It was a very surprising result,” says Feldman. “We didn’t expect lying to be such a common part of daily life.” Is it not strange that most people abhor the idea of being lied to yet there are few practices more common than lying? Why are lying, stealing, and other forms of dishonesty so common today? How does dishonesty affect society as a whole? And more important, how can we avoid getting caught up in these dishonest practices?

How Dishonesty Affects You
“There are always difficult situations that can
be solved with a little dishonesty.”—Samantha,
South Africa.
Do you agree with that statement? Like Samantha, all
of us have faced difficult situations at one time or
another. How we react to situations that tempt us to be
dishonest can reveal what values we hold dear. For
example, if saving face is paramount to us, we would
likely view being dishonest as just another tool used to
accomplish the task. When the truth comes to light,
however, dishonesty often brings negative
consequences. Consider the following.
DISHONESTY DESTROYS
TRUST
Relationships are built on trust. When two people trust
each other, they feel safe and secure. But trust does
not happen overnight. People build trust when they
spend time together, engaging in honest communication
and acting unselfishly. Trust can be shattered,
however, by just one act of dishonesty. And when
trust has been broken, it can be very difficult to
rebuild.
Have you ever been deceived by someone you thought
was a good friend? If so, how did you feel? Likely
you felt hurt, even betrayed. That certainly is
understandable. There is little doubt that dishonesty
can destroy the fabric of precious relationships.
DISHONESTY BREEDS
DISHONESTY
A study by Robert Innes, a professor of economics at
the University of California, found that “dishonesty is
indeed contagious.” Thus, dishonesty could be likened
to a virus—the more contact you have with a person
who is deceitful, the greater your risk of being
“infected” with dishonesty yourself.
How can you avoid falling into the trap of dishonesty?
The Bible can help you. Please consider a few Bible
principles.

TO BE CONTINUED