He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, …
but he who holds his tongue is wise …
Truthful lips endure forever,
but a lying tongue lasts only a moment …
The lord detests lying lips,
but he delights in men who are truthful …
Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth …
A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare …
A false witness will perish,
and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.
Character Check Ask the Lord to help you be more open with others.
In Business Terms I first learned about the value of honesty in prison.
Not when I was in prison, but when in high school I visited a prison with my sociology class. Everyone, especially the guys, was acting totally cool, as if we’d been to lots of prisons, and prisoners didn’t scare us, and we could handle ourselves. You know, smart remarks, jokes, all the guy baloney.
We were finally escorted into a room with three prisoners with whom we were going to talk. We all took our chairs in a circle and sat and stared at each other, everyone looking as cool as ever.
After introducing the men, the teacher asked if we had any questions. There was a long silence.
Margie, a tall, thin girl who appeared as in control as the rest of us, said, “I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m kind of scared.”
Everyone laughed-not at her, but with her: we were all feeling the same thing. And all of us, like Margie, had been putting on an act. Now, because of her honesty, we didn’t have to.
With that, a genuine conversation with our hosts began.
—Mark Galli
Something to Think About An honest man’s the noblest work of God. – Alexander Pope
