Sincerity

Last month the Harvard University campus newspaper published a survey on cheating taken by their Freshman class. Ten percent of the students admitted to cheating on an exam. Seventeen percent admitted to cheating on a paper, and 42 percent admitted to cheating on a homework assignment. I have read other surveys that put the numbers much higher than this… Frankly, I think the “actual” number of students who cheat is ridiculous… I think most students cheat and some don’t even feel bad about it. This is a serious problem that points to a basic character crisis.

Our culture no longer rewards or even expects sincerity, the most foundational of all of our character traits. We see this in our politicians, business leaders, and sometimes even in our church leaders. Parents and teachers should require integrity from it’s students. There should be zero tolerence for cheating… such a basic standard provides the most valuable, life changing, and character building lessons taught in youth.

My children just got their midterm report cards, I completely understand the pressure that leads a child to cheat. I can even understand parents or teachers looking the other way. College is SO competitive, we convince ourselves that the grade is the most important thing… but that is idolatry. We have put something on the throne of our life that has no rightful place to such an honor. God alone can sit in that place and we know it.

So Greystone Girls… commit to being a person bound by your word. I know everyone cheats, but that is not the standard for you. Matthew 5:37 says “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (NIV). We are called to be the light to a dark world. Decide today that you are going to hold your candle high… no matter the cost.

Jimboy