Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. 2 Corinthians 8:21
Joe trudged homeward through the deserted streets, walking because he could not afford bus fare, and late because he needed his second job to make ends meet for his family. A delivery truck rattled past him and turned a corner, catching a wheel on the curb as it made the turn. As the truck sped away, Joe heard a clank and saw a cloth bag that had fallen from the truck land on the sidewalk. Curious, he approached, and found the bag to contain unmarked loose bills and plenty of coins. Checking to make sure none of the money had fallen out, Joe picked up the heavy bag and hurried to the nearest police station. He and the police sergeant counted the money, which amounted to several thousand dollars. When the sergeant asked why he hadn’t kept the money for himself, Joe replied, ‘It wasn’t mine. I had no right to it.’ Joe, like the apostle Paul, was providing for honest things.
Greed is such a powerful human trait that often overcomes many of our more noble motives, even among Christians. But greed doesn’t affect some people, not the ones who provide for honest things. This is a curious term, found only one other place in Scripture (Romans 12:17). The words ‘providing for’ mean a state of mind or commitment. Paul had made it a matter of personal principle to be as honest as possible. When a situation arose in which another person might be tempted to steal or cheat, that temptation could not arise in Paul’s heart because he had provided for honesty and nothing but honesty. This is a wonderful attitude for a child of God, and you and I should aspire to this.
Paul’s honesty resulted from his awareness that he was always in the eye of God. He was always conscious of the Lord’s presence, and that had a direct bearing on his behaviour. But he was also aware of the need for honesty in the sight of men. He knew he needed to maintain a good testimony, to make sure nobody had any reason to accuse him of acting falsely. He knew that only a good testimony before men would allow him to be effective in witnessing for his Lord. We will find the same works for us.
Have we provided for honest things? God is watching us. So is everybody else. – Jim MacIntosh