The Bible Edge
Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have the Bible Edge
Romans 12:17
…Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Honesty is still the best policy. In fact, honesty may be the greatest Bible Edge for business a person can have. Long lasting business partnerships are best established on honesty. The freedom of honesty offers many benefits. Like a peaceful mind in that any untold number of lies does not have to be remembered. Worry of being found out to be in a lie is absent if honesty is employed. Fear of being branded a liar is eliminated. Yes, honesty is still the best policy in business. Misunderstandings may, and will happen, but honesty will clear them up. After all, honesty never shies away from examination.
Years ago there was an industrious sales representative in a certain area that sold his wares to hospitals. This man learned of another medical supply company searching for a representative in the same territory. He applied and was hired. The problem was that neither of the two companies knew that he worked for the other. They did not compete with each other so he thought he could get away with it. One week he would drive one company car, the next week he would drive the other one. He did quite well for himself until one day his manager was with him on a hospital call and his customer for the other product saw him and began discussing a product related issue in front of his boss.
He was fired. From both companies. Had he been honest with his employers they may have gone along with his plan. If they said no, at least he would still have one of the positions. He was not honest in the sight of all men.
An independent businessman once told me that to him, “Honesty is currency”. Those he dealt with that were honest built up a sort of capital with him. If there was a misunderstanding or an issue came up that necessitated trust, those with a good balance of honesty currency, let’s call it, were given the benefit of the doubt. Those with no balance of honesty currency were not.
Anyway, to be honest in the sight of all men is a Bible command. More than that it is an edge, A Bible Edge. Being honest will give you an edge on those who are otherwise.
William Howe, Ph.D.