I always thought I was a very honest person until I read an article by Charles Finney many years ago called Dishonesty in Small Matters. It gave me a whole different view of honesty and integrity.

We tend to think that honesty in big matters is more important than honesty in small matters. You would never rob a bank, because that is Dishonest with a capital D. But you might take a small piece of candy off a co-worker’s desk without asking, and not think of that as being dishonest at all.

The real issue here is a balance of values. You have the value of your integrity and honesty on one side of the scale, and you have the object you desire on the other side. A bank robber trades his integrity for $200,000 of stolen money. You trade your integrity for a small piece of stolen candy.

The problem is, Jesus died to save you from your sins, and restore you to a life of integrity. So when you trade your integrity, you’re trading His sacrifice. What does your scale look like?

What are some other small matters of dishonesty that you commonly face? Please list a couple in the comments form to help others relate to this issue.