I came across an epitaph on an old gravestone in a cemetery the other
day. It read, “J. Holgate: An honest man.”
I know nothing of Holgate’s life, but because his marker is unusually
ornate, he must have struck it rich. But whatever he accomplished in his
lifetime, he’s remembered for just one thing: He was “an honest man.”
Diogenes, the Greek philosopher, spent a lifetime in search of honesty
and finally concluded that an honest man could not be found. Honest people are
hard to find in any age, but the trait is one that greatly matters. Honesty is
not the best policy; it’s the only policy, and one of the marks of a man or
woman who lives in God’s presence. David writes, “Lord, . . . who may dwell in
Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly” (Ps. 15:1-2).
I ask myself: Am I trustworthy and honorable in all my affairs? Do my
words ring true? Do I speak the truth in love or do I fudge and fade the facts
now and then, or exaggerate for emphasis? If so, I may turn to God with
complete confidence and ask for forgiveness and for a good and honest heart—to
make truthfulness an integral part of my nature. The One who has begun a good
work in me is faithful. He will do it.
Live in such a way that when people think of honesty and integrity, they will think of you. (RBC)
