HONEST TO A FAULT

Yesterday, i wrote on life lessons learned from candy crush. Well this is a bit of digression of some sort. I am going to be doing a series of discussions on values . Your value system will most times determine your life.It is almost like saying show me your values and i will show you who you are. Today is the turn of honesty.Before we begin, Let me tell you how the dictionary defines honesty . It defines it as the quality of being honest. Let me give you my personal story about honesty.

A few years ago, I went to the Bank to make withdrawal. I requested to withdraw a certain amount but unknown to me, i was overpaid. On my way back to work I decided to count the money in the car. Just then, i discovered i was overpaid. Due to work exigencies, I could not go back to return the money that same day. I went back some few days later and explained what happened. The person who even made the error could not even remember . I filled a debit form and the money was deducted from my account. My resolve to return the money that day did not obviously just start. This was instilled in me by my  mother and above all the fear of God. As parents, we have a LOT of work to do to raise them up in such a way that those values will not leave them. On a lighter note, till date, i do not eat meat till am done with my food. Why? that was how i was brought up...lol. It may sound funny but whatever we instill in our children from now is what they will grow up to display when they grow old. Prov 22:6 graciously sums up the English i have been speaking "Train up a child in the way that he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it"

It tears my heart to see Nigeria is still the way it is all because of lack of values. Scarcity in the midst of abundance, poverty in the midst of plenty. I mean why else will a politician divert funds meant to do good for the community or state  if not due to lack of integrity. The Bible says "So we see that every one of us will give account of himself to God." Hey am not judging here, but am just sounding the alarm just like John the Baptist was announcing the arrival of Christ in the wilderness. People who are good managers of things did not just start that day. They were faithful in few. Some of us cannot even pay tithe of 1000 from a N10,000 salary. How will you be able to pay N1m from N10m. This parable can be found in Luke 12:35-48.

Let me tell you another story of some close to me. He got an item off a website online. Unfortunately, when the item arrived,some manufacturing issues ere identified. So, we had to return it. The item was returned and the money was refunded but was paid twice by mistake. He returned the money. Ordinarily that is a foolish move to some people. They may argue that it was not their mistake. So "Na Godwin". Here is the reply from the online merchant :

Dear Chris,
Thank you for your mail and for contacting Konga.com
This is to express our sincere appreciation for the faithful character you display by voluntarily requesting for our account details to refund the money we paid into your account twice.

Your spirit of truthfulness and is highly commendable.
Kindly refer to our Access Bank account below;
Access Bank
Account Name: Konga Online Shopping Limited
Account Number; 0690239984
Once again, We are very much grateful for your sincerity on this issue.
We appreciate your patronage.
Do have a splendid day.

Apologies if my stories bore you but i feel thats the only way I think I can make us understand that people who are honest dont just live in Heaven. There are human beings right here who earth, who are doing the right things. So can you.

Let me end with this quote from the best book on earth "Whoever walks in integrity will be delivered, but he who is crooked in his ways will suddenly fall" Prov 28:18


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