HONESTY ENCOURAGES TRUST; DISHONESTY INVITES DISTRUST.
Bible Reading of the Day: Read Luke 16:10-12.
Verse of the Day: “Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth” (Proverbs 16:13, NIV).
“Look what I got!” Barry grinned at his friend Darrick as he jammed his hand into his book bag.
Darrick leaned against Barry’s locker, his eyes opened wide. “Street Slam?” he said, referring to the video game cartridge in Barry’s hand. “How’d you get that? I’ve been saving money for weeks and I’m not even close to having enough to buy Street Slam.”
Barry shrugged as he opened his locker. “I didn’t even have to buy it,” he said. “How’d you get it?”
“It used to be Marvin Kyser’s,” he answered. “He gave it to you?”
“Not exactly,” Barry said. “He was showing it around at his lunch table, you know, showing off and stuff. Then he set it down on top of his books on the floor and forgot about it. I got Tyler to walk by his table and ‘accidentally’ give Marvin’s books a good kick in my direction. The game landed almost right at my feet. It was sweet.”
Darrick stared at Barry, his mouth hanging open. “So you stole it?”
“No, man, I just found it on the floor in the cafeteria.”
Darrick’s mouth remained open. He shook his head. “You can’t do that,” he said. “That’s not your game, it’s Marvin’s. And if you keep it, you’re stealing it.”
“You can call it stealing if you want to. I call it ‘finders keepers.'”
“It doesn’t matter what you call it. All that matters is, it’s wrong.”
“What are you gonna do, tell on me?” Barry asked.
“That’s not the question, Barry. The question is, what are you gonna do?”
Barry stared at his friend for a few moments in silence. Finally he turned and slammed his locker door shut. He flashed Darrick a sour look. “I guess I’ll go find Marvin Kyser,” he said.
Darrick nodded. “Good,” he said. “I’ll go with you.”
Barry extended his hands and turned his palms outward. “What, don’t you trust me?”
“Should I?” Darrick asked in response. “Should Marvin?”
Barry rolled his eyes. “All right,” he said. “You made your point.”
Darrick smiled and slapped Barry on the back. “I hope so,” he said.
TO DISCUSS: Whom would you trust more: Darrick or Barry? Why? Name some people you trust. Why do you trust them? Do you think your honesty in “small matters” makes people want to trust you with greater responsibilities?
TO PRAY: “Heavenly Father, when we’re tempted to excuse ‘small matters’ of dishonesty, remind us that no sin is ‘small’ in your sight. Keep us on the path to honesty.”
