In the 1970s, we moved our European/Middle East head office to London, England. We had some big projects on the go, and we were in need of a payroll person to calculate the weekly and monthly payroll for all our employees, both in the office and in the field. The person needed to be familiar with the different deductions and how to remit them to the various government institutions. It required a knowledgeable and capable person.

Our office manager interviewed a considerable number of applicants and finally narrowed it down to a couple of likely candidates. As was our custom, when it came down to hiring someone in my accounting department, I would also have a short discussion with the finalists. One of them was obviously well qualified, but he had been unemployed for over five years. I asked him why he had been unable to get work in his field — why it was that no one would hire him. "Because I stole some money," was his reply. He then got up and was going to go away dejected, once again, but I told him to wait in the reception area.

I discussed this with the office manager, and we agreed to hire him. When we told him, he wept, and he asked me why we would hire him when no one else would, for many years. So I told him, "Because you told me the truth." As the Bible says:

Proverbs 12:17,19,22 – He who speaks truth declares righteousness, but a false witness, deceit. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight. (NKJV)

Tell the truth or tell a lie? The man we hired to do our payroll told me the truth where he could have lied. I am sure that he had told other prospective employers the same, and they did not hire him, but because he was honest with me, we did. He worked for us for many years, and he was still there when I left.

There are so many people who will tell a lie, even when the truth fits better. There is a saying in the Netherlands which, roughly translated, says, "It does not matter how fast a lie is; the truth will catch up to it." More than likely, when we do tell a lie, we will get trapped in it, and then, we will have to face up to the consequences. Always tell the truth!

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, we pray that we will always speak the truth. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

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About the author:

Joel Jongkind <austria67@bmts.com>
Meaford, Ontario, Canada
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