Honesty Is the Only Policy

I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Honesty is the best policy” which is quoted as a virtuous proverb. However, most people don’t realize that it is only part of the quote. The entire quote goes like this: “Honesty is the best policy; but he who is governed by that maxim is not an honest man.” This was quoted by Richard Whately, Archbishop of Dublin. Though the bishop meant it in negative sense, nevertheless, it has grown to be the poster child symbolizing personal integrity. One day I heard someone quote this saying and it dawned on me, “We say that like there is some other option.”

So, I from that day forward began to say this: “Honesty is the only policy.” First, we need to be honest with the Lord. Second, we need to be honest with ourselves. Lastly, we need to be honest with others. There is no option. I believe the main reason why we are not honest with God is because we are afraid to bring him our nastiness; the bad things about us that makes us unholy (Isa. 6:1-8). The Lord can handle anything you bring him. Confession is good for the soul (2 Chron. 30:22; Ezra 10:11; Dan. 9:4). The word “confession” in the Hebrew is yadah, meaning: to physically throw (a stone, an arrow) at or away; especially to revere or worship (with extended hands). So being honest with the Lord about your nastiness is like taking out the trash.

For some reason it is easier to be honest with the Lord than it is being honest with myself. Being honest with ourselves is an onerous task. Looking in the mirror can sometimes be frightening. What do you see when you look at yourself without a notion of justification. Achieving a level of honesty with self can be done by admitting what you see. My mother used to always say, “It is what it is;” in other words “What you see is what you get.” The only way to make progress is to admit where you currently reside. (Psalm 51)

The main reason we continue to deceive others is because we have first deceived ourselves. Once we conquer our own dishonesty, we will be able to be honest with all men (Rom. 12:17). The word for “honest” in this passage is kalos, meaning: valuable or virtuous. Can you honestly say you have been honest with all men; If you haven’t, you’d better get busy. For some of us that may mean going back to the past and making things right where you lied to someone or didn’t tell the whole story to keep from having to disclose uncomfortable information about youself. Whatever the case you won’t be sorry when you practice honesty as your only policy. May the Lord bless you today and keep you in the center of His will.

Word for Today

Onerous- troublesome or oppressive; burdensome.

Quote for Today

“Ay, sir. To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.”

- William Shakespeare, Hamlet Prince of Denmark (Hamlet at II, ii)