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.
