Spencer Johnson is the author of one of my favorite motivational books, Who Moved My Cheese. If you have not read it, I highly recommend that you read this amazing book; it will change your perspective on life. Mr. Johnson wrote: “Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”

Honesty seems to be a forgotten practice in today’s society. Most people do not like telling the truth about who they really are or what they are looking for. With the advent of modern technology, it has become easy to live without being honest as to who we really are. We have become like the people in the 2009 movie “Surrogates,” starring Bruce Willis. The movie takes place in the near future where people live their lives free of pain, danger, and complications through robotic representations of themselves, called surrogates. Some may laugh at the concept of the movie, but that is what people are doing behind their profiles on Facebook or Twitter. They use avatars, which are computer-generated custom-designed characters to create a truly unique appearance for themselves.

Unfortunately, this habit of not being honest has infiltrated the body of Christ. People are so guarded that they are not honest about who they are and what they really need from God. They come to God asking for guidance, not really wanting His guidance because they have already decided on the course of action they will take. This is nothing new to God. In the book of Jeremiah, the leaders of the remnant the Babylonians left in the city of Jerusalem had made up their minds to go down to Egypt. They were fearful of the Babylonians because of the assassination of the Babylonians’ governor by certain Jewish nobility.

Before departing to Egypt, they sought guidance from the prophet Jeremiah, asking him to seek directions from the Lord. They told him that whatever the Lord said they would follow, but they had already made up their minds to go to Egypt. When Jeremiah gave them God’s answer, which was contrary to theirs, they decided to follow their own plans. Jeremiah called them dishonest: “For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!’” Jeremiah 42:20 (NLT)

Here is what I would like to teach you. If you have made up your mind to do what’s in your heart, stop wasting the man or woman of God’s time by asking them to pray for guidance. Be honest! Tell them upfront what is the intent in your heart, and your desire to do it. That’s honesty!

One final admonition, be prepared to live with the consequences of your decisions, good or bad!

“People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
and then are angry at the Lord.” Proverbs 19:3(NLT)

Your Spiritual Father

+Roberto Jemmott

Purchase Bishop Jemmott’s books and sermons including his latest release entitled “Still Standing” here.