“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
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- Proverbs 11:3 NIV
Sometimes when our integrity is in question and we’re tempted to do something dishonest we rationalize that everyone is like this, that everyone has areas of their life where they cheat a bit, tell harmless white lies and perhaps even steal things of little value. And while it may be true that everyone has areas of their life where integrity frays a bit, where we feel justified in telling harmless lies or cheating at Solitaire, the danger is that we may be on a slippery slope to telling more serious lies and cheating or stealing things of real value.
And don’t kid yourself, not everyone lies and steals. There are people who unfailingly tell the truth and who can be trusted not to take what doesn’t belong to them. On the other hand, we all know that there are times when it’s not necessary to tell the truth, such as games that involve bluffing (that is, lying or otherwise concealing the truth) or in social situations where people often tell white lies rather than transgress important social mores (telling others what you think of their appearance, even when asked, sometimes calls for diplomacy and tact, if not outright dishonesty). But don’t we all want to be the kind of person who can be trusted with a secret, or to deliver something of value without pilfering or absconding with it? – Christopher Simon
