Several
years ago, a high school basketball coach in Kansas cheated in a game by making
an illegal substitution. One of his players was injured in the first half. At
halftime, the coach made the switch. He asked the injured player's identical
twin, who was not listed in the official score book, to put on his brother's
uniform and pretend to be him. The twins looked so much alike that no one could
tell the difference. The twin wore his brother's number and led the team to
victory.
But
the thrill of victory quickly turned into the agony of deceit. The coach
couldn't live with his guilty conscience. "After the game, my conscience
bothered me," he said. "What I did wasn't right. I voluntarily turned
myself in to the state."
Proverbs
11:1 says, "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just
weight (honesty) is His delight." The false balance refers to when dishonest
merchants used two different stone weights to balance their scales. Lighter stones
were placed on the scales when selling, so it would give the buyer less product
for the price. They switched to heavier stones when buying, so they would receive
more for the same price.
Dishonest people believe they'll be
better off if they cheat. Students cheat on tests. Adults
cheat on income taxes. Philanderers cheat on their spouses. They don’t realize
God is watching and won't
let them enjoy what they get. "Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a
man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel." (Prov.
20:17).
Instead
of cheating, try a different approach. Why not do what is honest and trust God with
the outcome your situation? It might mean giving up the immediate profit, but don’t
forget the end of the story. God has ways of making up the difference for you,
both here and in eternity. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com www.makinglifecount.net
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