‘You Should Feel Proud of This’

TRUE servants of God recognize the importance of being honest. Love for their Creator moves them to feel that way. Take, for example, the case of Lázaro. Some time ago when he was an employee in a hotel in Huatulco, Mexico, he found 70 dollars that had been dropped in the lobby. He was quick to turn the money over to the manager on duty. A little later he found a billfold in a bathroom. He turned it in at the reception desk, to the happy surprise of the person who had lost it.

These actions came to the attention of the general manager, who asked Lázaro what had motivated him to return the money and the billfold. Lázaro answered that the moral values he had learned from the Bible prevented him from taking something that was not his. In a letter of appreciation, the general manager told Lázaro: “Today it is difficult to find people who uphold high moral values. We commend your attitude. You have shown yourself to be a decent man, an example for your workmates. You and your family should feel proud of this.” Lázaro was named employee of the month.

Certain workmates thought that Lázaro had made a mistake when he returned the items. But after they saw the reaction of their employer, they congratulated Lázaro for upholding his moral principles.

The Bible exhorts Jesus’ faithful followers to “work what is good toward all” and to “conduct [themselves] honestly in all things.” (Galatians 6:10; Hebrews 13:18) Without doubt, displaying honesty as Christians brings glory to the “righteous and upright” God of the Bible, Jehovah.​—Deuteronomy 32:4.