Published 11/11/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
We’ve lived in our house for a number of years... but now it’s time to move. Dad, you got a different job in another town, so we are going to have to sell this house and find a new one.
We have a few months before we have to move and we need every bit of it to get the house fixed up. We do lots of yard work, paint a few rooms and generally work our tails off to get the house ready to sell.
Instead of using a real estate agent to help sell the house, you decide to market it on your own. You go to the local library and find books on how to do it. Then you go to an office supply store to get all of the necessary paperwork. Finally, you place an ad in the newspaper, put up a few signs and wait for offers.
A number of buyers come by; most have a lot of questions.
“That roof looks in bad shape. How old is it?” asks one.
“Well, not very old,” you say (not really knowing the answer).
“Have you had any problems lately with the furnace?” asks another.
“Furnace? Lately? Well, you know it’s been running great for a long time,” you say (knowing that it has acted up at times, but never too badly).
Other potential buyers come by with lots of questions about the foundation, water drainage, radon, heating and water bills—more questions than you thought were legal to ask!
You want to sell the house—and you need to sell it for a lot of money. If these people hear the real answers to the questions they are asking, they may not pay top dollar for the house.
Questions to Think On
• What is the difference between a half-truth and a lie?
• In order to get a lot more money for the house, would you be tempted to not tell the whole truth?
• Whose responsibility is it to sell the house for the best price?
• What does the word integrity mean to you?
What Does God Have to Say?
The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
He whose walk is blameless is kept safe, but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.
(c)