The Benefits Of Honesty

Honestly means straight forwardness, truthfulness and to be reliable. An honest man is a man of integrity, a man that is upright in character, a man that does not join the crowd even when they say 'if you cannot beat them, join them ''
Some people may wonder at this question; Is Honesty Still the best policy? They will say; "who is talking about honesty in this present age". This is a question that needs clarification in our contemporary world, precisely in Nigeria. some people say that honestly is no longer the best policy because the honest man is the one that suffers and remains in abject poverty.


To such people honestly is an archaic word; any person that is honest is regarded to be mendacious and iniquitous - what an irony!
Honest y has saved a lecturer his job. The lecturer known to be upright in character both by his colleagues and students. When this lecturer's examination question paper was sneaked out photocopied and sold by a staff in the institution, some lecturers in that same institution wanted to seize that opportunity to terminate the lecturer's appointment.


As God would have it, one of the students in this lecturer's department came across this selling question paper and reported the situation to lecturer knowing fully well that his lecturer is a straight forward man;  unlike students in our higher institutions today who would have bought question paper at any cost provided they pass the course, this student went to the lecturer's house and told him that his question paper is all over the campus. This lecturer now knew what is at stake and immediately changed the questions early in the morning of the examination day.


You could imagine what happened in the examination hall when the students find out that what they bought at an exorbitant price is no longer what they are seeing in the examination hall. Honestly has saved this lecturer from shame, staining his name, and disgrace then it has saved him his job.
God vehemently condemned dishonesty. This is the reason why God, Himself punished those that are dishonesty in the Bible, people like Saul (1 Samuel 15:1-35), Gehazi (2 Kings 15:19-26),etc. God still punishes those that are dishonest "for no sin will go unpunished ".


The punishment may be immediately or later. Some people are dishonest because of avarice, they want to gain all the whole world but what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and go to hell on the last day. Let us therefore live an honest life. Dishonesty is a frailty of human life. Honesty leads to higher ground. If the rulers and the rules, the rich and the poor should be honest, this world will be better place because honestly is still the best policy