Proverbs 11:3

Proverbs 11:3 says:

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Every day we are faced with decisions that force us to make a decision. We can be honest and forthright about something or we keep our mouths quiet or outright lie. One decision will in the end make us stronger while the other decision will completely destroy us. Seems straight forward right? Then why do even the most upright seem to choose the wrong decision? Because it is easier.

The easiest path is not always the right one. In fact, it could be the deadliest. Let me give you a personal example.

I was on unemployment. I was also doing some writing jobs here and there that brought anywhere from $20 to $100 a week. Now, since it was all self-employment income, it was not being reported to the state for taxes yet. I could have kept my mouth shut and continued on. Instead, I checked the box that asks if I am unemployed. The result? My unemployment held for four weeks as they investigated my work and if it meant a loss of benefits. Those four weeks were painful as we didn’t anticipate the sudden loss of income. If we had not said anything, I would have kept on collecting. What could have happened if I didn’t report it? They would have found out and stopped payment for up to four months (as they did on someone I know who did this) as they investigated. Ouch! I reported it and suffered for four weeks. My reward? Those that knew about respected us more for it. We were an example to them.

When integrity is followed, it is not a bed of roses. Oh,no! It can be painful. It hurts when we admit that we were speeding to the officer. It hurts because there are consequences. Yet, it is worth it. Keeping quiet or lying to save our skin or get away with something might sound harmless at first or just plain easier. In the end, it will hurt us. We will face larger penalties. We could face legal problems. We could lose our jobs. We could find ourselves in a much bigger embarrassing position than if we had just admitted it in the beginning.

You have heard “Oh, what a tangled web we weave.” When we let a lie come forth, we have to create another lie to cover that one. Then another and another. The web we weave is what usually catches us and pins us down. It would have been much easier to confess in the beginning. You lose face, integrity, trust, and even friends.

A man was having an affair with a friend. When asked by another friend who had seen some suspicious activity, the man denied it. Over and over he denied it. Months went by until he was caught red-handed. His response was that it was nobody’s business and that he couldn’t understand why everyone was upset with him. He had lied. Why not confess to his failings in the beginning? Now, his friends were faced not only with his affair but also with a loss of trust. How could they believe him after all those elaborate lies and nasty things said to cover his rear? They couldn’t. Integrity is easy to lose and almost impossible to regain.

When you are faced with the decision to choose the easy way out or to face a little humiliation right now? Which will you choose? A little pain now is much better than excruciating pain later.