Honesty . . . as good as it gets‏

"Better is a little with righteousness than great income with
injustice." - Proverbs 16:8 (NASB)

After a week of special meetings, the guest preacher approached the
airline desk to purchase a flight for home. Ticket in hand, he took a
seat in the waiting area. Checking his credit card receipt, he
realized the attendant had undercharged him by almost fifty percent.
"It's wonderful how God provides," he rationalized. The church hadn't
paid him too well and the bills were piling up at home. For the next
half hour he wrestled with himself, although deep down he knew what he
had to do. Finally, he returned to the desk and said to the
attendant, "I think you made a mistake." "No," she replied, "you see,
I was in church last night when you spoke on honesty, and I thought
I'd put you to the test."

Why should you be honest? Because whether you're aware or
not, people are watching. Your actions and attitudes, in even the
smallest of details, are forming the opinions of those who hear you
claim to be a follower of Christ.

There's a golden moment in the life of Samuel the prophet. It's his
retirement. Standing before the nation he'd led for 40 years, he
asks, "Here I am; bear witness against me before the LORD and His
anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom
have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I
taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? I will restore it to you.
They said, "You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken
anything from any man's hand." (1 Samuel 12:3-4). When those who've
known you best for four decades can say that about you, you did it
right. And that's as good as it gets!