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LIFE MATTERS SERIES ~ FINANCIAL DISCIPLESHIP (S56E02)

 


TOPIC: FINANCIAL DISCIPLESHIP, THE BIBLE ON HONESTY

BIBLE REF: James 5:13‭-‬20 AMP, Is anyone among you suffering? He must pray. Is anyone joyful? He is to sing praises [to God]. Is anyone among you sick? He must call for the elders (spiritual leaders) of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its crops [as usual]. My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you strays from the truth and falls into error and [another] one turns him back [to God], let the [latter] one know that the one who has turned a sinner from the error of his way will save that one’s soul from death and cover a multitude of sins [that is, obtain the pardon of the many sins committed by the one who has been restored]._


I am a huge fan of sports, particularly football. But I have been flabbergasted by all that is going on in the sports world. I am not intending to pass judgment, call people out or point fingers at specific individuals, but there seems to be a common theme to the demise of individuals and teams… The issues of integrity and honesty.


We have seen over and over in the sports world the consequences of being dishonest and lacking integrity. “Legends” of the fields have fallen, and people have been physically and emotionally wounded. Lies have been used to cover up scandals, and trust has been broken. But it is not just in the sports world.


The reality is this: We all have struggled and will struggle with honesty and integrity. It may not be as transparent as the issues we have seen in the sports world, but scripture is clear about how dishonesty can spread:


“Whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” – *Luke 16:10.*


So, here are the TWO things that I would tell the fallen “legends” of sports, the people who are trying to justify “minor” lies, and what I would tell myself, family, and friends to do if they’re struggling with being dishonest:


1. RESTORE YOUR FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD: When we are dishonest, we aren’t able to experience our relationship with the Lord the way God intended. We must admit our sins and receive God’s mercy and forgiveness.


“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.” – John 1:9. (Emphasis added)


2. DO YOUR BEST TO RESTORE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HARMED PERSON: “Confess your sins to one another” (James 5:16). I’m not going to lie (haha); this one is pretty hard to do! But the fact of the matter is that the Lord wants us in a right relationship with Himself and others. The way we can do this is by swallowing our pride and sharing with those we have harmed how we have wronged them.


There is a lot more that could be added. God’s word is full of counsel on honesty and integrity. But if you want to be in a right relationship with the Lord and others, this is a really good starting point.


PLS STAY TUNED FOR CONTINUATION TOMORROW BY GOD'S GRACE!


REMEMBER, WE LOVE YOU BUT GOD LOVES YOU MORE, STAY BLESSED, FOCUSED AND BE DETERMINED TO BE THE BEST!

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