Q: I know you’d probably say we ought to be honest and always tell the truth, but in my experience no one really gets ahead if they act like that all the time. You have to cut a few corners if you’re going to be successful, no matter what the Ten Commandments say.
A: You’ve probably looked around you and seen people who appeared to be getting ahead by being less than honest—and in the short term perhaps they were.
But at what cost? In the long term they are on a dead-end road—and so will you be, if you decide to follow their example. You see, eventually what they are doing will catch up with them. People they cheat will eventually realize what has happened—and stop doing business with them or even wanting their friendship. Instead of being liked, they’ll end up being mistrusted and even hated. Do you honestly want this to happen to you? The Bible warns, “One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper; one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble” (Proverbs 17:20).
But I not only hope you’ll become a person of honesty and integrity—important as that is. More than that, I pray you’ll stop and reconsider your priority in life. From what you say, right now your only priority is to get ahead and make lots of money. But that will never give you the happiness and peace you seek, as long as you make them the center of your life.
Instead I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ and make Him your life’s foundation. God made you, and Christ loves you. Don’t be deceived by the false promises of wealth and success, but make it your goal to put Christfirst and become His follower.
