Craig Clouston

Honesty or Salary?

Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or quantity. Use honest scales, and honest weights.
Leviticus 19:35, 36

Three months on the job and he’d just had his salary doubled! It was the most exciting position Mike had ever had. But he was in a quandary because he felt the company was using questionable business practices known as job shopping.
Though widely accepted in the industry, Mike considered the practice dishonest. Once the company was awarded the bid on a job Mike had submitted, they would ask him to call all the suppliers they had used to compile the bid and ask them to give him a lower price on the materials or they would find someone else to provide the product they needed at a lower price, hence, maximizing the company’s profit. Mike, in an act many viewed as bordering on lunacy, told his boss that unless the company stopped the practice, he would no longer be able to work for them.

†

God set a standard to live by. He expects us to act accordingly. When we compromise principals or ethics in any way, we sacrifice part of our integrity. Done frequently enough, we become desensitized to what we are doing. “It’s not really so bad,” we tell ourselves to alleviate guilt and conviction. If left unchecked, it spills over into every part of our lives.
Mike knew he would someday stand before God and give an account of his actions. He knew there was no answer that could excuse being dishonest to justify a large salary. We want others to treat us fairly. We teach others about who we are by our adherence to our integrity. In Mike’s case, the company refused to change business practices, and so he chose to leave. We may never be faced with a decision as big as Mike’s, but when we are faced with unethical issues, we must make a choice. Honesty or deceit? Which will it be?

Prayer

“I am tempted to look the other way sometimes, Lord. Help me witness truth when I am confronted with unethical issues. Help others to see the affect You have on my life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”