Bible Sermon: Reward of Being Honest

Read: Ephesians 4:23-27

One of my lecturer colleagues greeted me with a warm handshake and asked, ‘How is your car doing?’ Then I realized the effect the additional material blessing I had had on the way I was greeted.

Very soon, for someone using this Devotional, when your friends greet you, they will add, ‘How is your jet doing?’

However, when asked, ‘How are you doing?’, many of us betray ourselves by the reply we give. The usual thing to say is ‘Fine, all is well’, even when all is not well.

If you can give the appropriate answer, you could get help.

I once visited a friend and his wife prepared some food for me. The meat could not be cut with teeth. The condiments – vegetables, oil, etc. were in their different compartments but I forced myself to eat a little.

Thereafter, my friend’s wife asked me, ‘How was the food?’ ‘Wonderful’ I replied. Dissatisfied, she probed, ‘You are my daddy: please tell me the truth.

How can my food be wonderful yet my husband does not come home to eat?’ When she kept pressing for an objective assessment, and because her marriage was on line, I told her the food was not good.

The pepper was too much. Salt was not enough.

The vegetable was almost raw. The condiments did not blend together. Then I asked her to check the plate to know how many pieces of meat were missing.

She broke down and asked me to help her.

So I gave her some cooking tips. I told her to boil the meat very well and add fish in all her cooking. I asked her to find out what her husband loves to eat, not what she likes to serve.

To cut it short, things took a dramatic turn from that moment.

If you are ready to learn, you cannot cover up whatever is missing in the equation of your life, marriage, academics, work, ministry.

Nobody was born with all knowledge. You can only know what you open yourself to know. Even if you have not started, you can start today and make a difference.

There are appropriate ways of doing things. Have you acquired all you need to excel in the various areas of your life? Like the sister, be open to learn what you don’t know and you will be on the way to a better, happier tomorrow.

Be frank, honest and true to yourself.