Measure Up

Nº 404

The only reason integrity should be a burden to you is if you enjoy being dishonest. - Sam Storms

As a youngster, I spent summers picking berries. The season started with strawberries, migrated to raspberries, and then blackberries. I enjoyed those days, picking and eating my way through the rows of sweet delight. However, the summer ended with several weeks picking string beans. Not much immediate gratification from string beans.

Payment was three cents a pound, so we tried to ensure our bags weighed at least 34 pounds to earn a dollar. To augment a 32-pound bag into a 34 pounder, an unscrupulous picker could add a rock, stick, tin can, or dirt clod.

At least six times the Old Testament warned against using multiple weights for nefarious transactions. Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike, an abomination to the Lord. (Proverbs 20:10)

The warning served not only to ensure honest business practices, but to call God’s people to live lives of integrity. Our decisions and actions should reflect our desire to represent Christ well.

The Greek word translated ‘worthy’ comes from the concept of accurate weights. Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. (Colossians 1:10) Walk worthy. Don’t try to look overly important. And don’t fill your life with things that you hope no one discovers.

Excelsior,

Dan Bolin

Author & President