Should I Give Up Being Honest For Good Job?
By Meihui, Brazil
“What’s your educational background? Do you have any work experience?”
“I graduated from junior high school and have no work experience.”
When she came abroad, Meihui always wanted to find a steady job. Seeing that her savings were almost gone and she had not found a job yet, she was very anxious. Sitting in a bus, she looked at the beautiful sight of the foreign lands out of the window, but she felt unhappy and was filled with melancholy …
When she was on her way back home discouraged, Meihui met a relative and he asked her, “Meihui, how is your interview today?” Meihui talked to him about what she had experienced with sighing. Her relative said, “You’re too honest. You should have said, ‘My education level is high school and I used to work in China.’ Then wouldn’t you have been hired?” “But if I speak this way, isn’t this cheating others?” Meihui said. Her relative continued, “For the sake of your livelihood, you must speak in this way, and in fact, the success of the interview is up to work experience. If problems arise in your work, you can say the way of doing this job is different between the two countries. Isn’t this enough?” Hearing the advice of her relative, Meihui felt his words were reasonable. She thought, “Yes! I really need a job now. If I tell the truth, it will be hard for me to find a job. Hmm. For my living, it is OK to tell a lie once. I might just as well do as he said.”
Just at that moment, the words of the Lord Jesus popped into Meihui’s mind, “But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatever is more than these comes of evil” (Matthew 5:37). She understood: The Lord teaches us to be an honest person, and it is definitely not after His heart to get a job by telling lies. Even though I have no high level of education and no work experience, I shouldn’t tell lies to deceive others as a Christian. I should glorify the Lord’s name and bear testimony for God. Only by doing so will my heart be steady. As for whether I can find a job, it is all in God’s hands, and I should entrust it into God. Then Meihui had the confidence and direction of practice in her heart.
The next day, Meihui learned that a company was looking for some new employees and she went to attend the interview. When he saw her, the boss asked, “What’s your education level?” “I graduated from junior high school and have no work experience,” Meihui answered as usual. Then the boss told her to wait for the phone call. Consequently, she didn’t receive any notice to hire her.
When her relatives and friends knew this, they all blamed her, “You’re too stubborn. Every time we advise you, you never listen to us. As long as you say that you have a high level of education and work experience, won’t your job be in the bag?” Hearing this, Meihui felt disappointed and lost, thinking, “Is there anything wrong in my being honest? Why do they always blame me this way?” But on second thought, she remembered the two failures. It seemed that finding a job was so difficult for a person like her, who had neither high degree nor work experience. At the thought of this, Meihui felt somewhat weak and had no idea what to do. Then she prayed to God, “God! I really need a job because of my living constraints. If I tell lies, I will be likely to get a job. But as a Christian, I deeply know that I should listen to Your words in all things and be an honest person according to Your requirements. However, my relatives and friends advise me to lie and blame me all the time. God! May You enlighten and guide me, allowing me to understand Your will. Amen!”
After praying to God, Meihui saw God’s words saying, “Which road are you taking? Taking the road of being an honest person is never a mistake! Others say, ‘How is it that you say everything? You let others know everything you are thinking. How can you be so foolish?’ How do you handle it? How do you feel after hearing this? (Indifferent.) That is correct. ‘Indifferent. You see things how you are willing to see them. My being an honest person is my business. It is my responsibility and the road that I should take.’ The most correct path that a believer should take can never change and cannot be influenced by others.” God’s words gave Meihui faith and a way of practice. She thought: As a Christian, I should be an honest person and tell the truth according to God’s words. This is God’s requirement and will never be a mistake. Looking from the outside, I experienced two failures in finding a job, and now I’m faced with the constraints of life, with the result that my relatives and friends say I suffer loss due to my being honest. But in fact, God is testing my faith by allowing such situations to happen to me, and He wants to see whether I can be an honest person to stand testimony for Him. At that moment, Meihui came to understand God’s will. She made a resolution that no matter what others said and how others saw her, she would absolutely never humiliate God in order to protect her own interests, and that she would be an honest person and live out the likeness of a Christian to bring glory to God and bear witness to God. As for whether or not she would find a job, it was all in God’s hand. Just as God’s words say, “Of everything that occurs in the universe, there is nothing that I do not have the final say in. What exists that is not in My hands? All that I say goes….”
One day, Meihui learned that a kindergarten was recruiting some new members, and she wanted to give it a try. She prayed to God before she went, “God! I’m going to attend another interview. If the boss asked me about my education level and work experience, I will surely tell the truth. Although I extremely need this job, as a Christian, I prefer to practice being an honest person in accordance with Your words to honor You and shame Satan. God! I believe whether the interview is a success is in Your hands, and I will obey Your sovereignty and arrangement.” After praying, she felt very much at peace and steadiness in her heart.
At the interview, Meihui told the truth about her conditions. Then the schoolmaster said in astonishment, “You’re quite honest. Well, it doesn’t matter whether or not you have a good educational background and work experience. You just need to watch over the children well.” After hearing this, Meihui was very excited and said, “All right. Please kindly give me your advice. I will try my best to do the job well.” The schoolmaster smiled, “Hmm, may we work well together.” Meihui knew it was God that prepared the job for her, and she especially cherished it. She also persisted in being honest during work. No matter whether she interacted with her workmates or the parents, she always lived according to God’s requirements, and she was responsible and serious in doing everything. Later on, the schoolmaster paid her the highest wage among her workmates, and also gave her special treatment—letting her take the school bus, so that she could get off work earlier than the others and wouldn’t miss the gatherings.
Through this experience, Meihui truly felt the steadiness that came from living according to God’s words. At the same time, she truly realized that she never lost anything by being an honest person, and instead, she gained not only material blessings, but most importantly the spiritual happiness and the others’ trust. And she further confirmed God’s words, “Taking the road of being an honest person is never a mistake!”
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