Proverbs 11:3
If you do the right thing, honesty will be your guide. But if you are crooked, you will be trapped by your own dishonesty.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Recently, I saw an HGTV show about a young couple who had purchased their first home, but it had some “issues.” They called in an expert, who promptly discovered that the problems were very serious. One entire wall was pulling away from the studs, the wiring was worse than sub-standard, and there was mold and leaky pipes that were causing a ceiling to cave in and risk total collapse.
The young homeowner said, “I had the house inspected before we purchased it, and the inspector said everything was okay. Maybe I should have researched inspectors a little more. Someone said this guy was a good one… but obviously, he wasn’t.” In the end, the host of the HGTV show resolved all of the construction issues… even tearing out a lot of the walls, wiring and plumbing and starting over in many instances.
I don’t know if the dishonest… and certainly disreputable… inspector was ever prosecuted for this shoddy work. But I feel certain that somewhere down the line, his dishonesty will trap him. My dad was involved in building construction, and I know that doing things right the first time might take a little longer and cost a little more… and it might even cut into the builder’s profits a bit. But taking shortcuts and operating any other way is nothing but a trap that can lead to disaster at some point.
And so it is in our daily living. Our “little white lies” may seem harmless at the time, but in the end, they pile up like the kindling to start a campfire… and when we least expect it, they ignite and blow up in our face. Choosing the wrong guide… listening to friends and acquaintances or anyone who tells us “It won’t hurt anything/anyone” or “Nobody will ever know”… sets us up for destruction.
Choose your guides wisely. Choose the ultimate Guide… and follow His advice. Do the right thing… always… according to God’s will, and your “house” will always be well constructed and in good condition.
©2010 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment