In today’s world, honesty could seem to be a disadvantage. After all, some might reason:

•   ‘If I don’t lie to my parents, I could get grounded.’

•   ‘If I don’t cheat on this test, I might fail it.’

•   ‘If I don’t steal this item, I’ll have to save up for it.’

 ‘Besides, what’s the big deal?’ some might ask. ‘Isn’t everyone dishonest?’

 The answer to that question is no. Many people​—including a large number of young people​—believe that honesty pays, and for good reason. “Whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap,” says the Bible. (Galatians 6:7) In other words, our actions always have consequences​—whether for good or for bad.

 Consider, for example, some bad consequences people have reaped from lying.

  “I lied to my mom about talking to a certain boy. She had clear evidence that I wasn’t telling the truth. After the third time I lied about this, Mom had had enough. I was grounded for two weeks and could not use my cell phone or watch TV for a month. I never lied to my parents again!”​—Anita.

 To think about: Why might it take some time for Anita to regain her mom’s trust?

 The Bible says: “Now that you have put away deceit, each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.”​—Ephesians 4:25.

  “I lied to my parents and thought I got away with it until later when they made me recount what I said had happened. It was so far from the truth that I couldn’t even remember the details of my story. When you tell the truth to begin with, you don’t have that problem!”​—Anthony.

 To think about: How could Anthony have avoided that embarrassing situation?

 The Bible says: “Lying lips are detestable to Jehovah, but those acting faithfully bring pleasure to him.”​—Proverbs 12:22.

  “I have a friend who embellishes her stories. She exaggerates and takes things out of context. I love her and I try not to read too much into it. But it’s really hard to believe her or trust her.”​—Yvonne.

 To think about: How might exaggerations and “small” untruths affect the reputation of Yvonne’s friend?

 The Bible says: “We wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”​—Hebrews 13:18.

 Now consider some of the good consequences you can reap by being honest.

  “A woman walking ahead of me had dropped some money. I called out to her and returned her money. She was so thankful. She said: ‘That was very nice of you. Not many people are honest enough to do that.’ It felt good to be noticed for doing the right thing!”​—Vivian.

 To think about: Why might the woman have been surprised to see such honesty? How did being honest benefit Vivian?

 The Bible says: “Happy are those who . . . always do what is right.”​—Psalm 106:3.

  “As a family, we work in the janitorial business, and sometimes while we’re cleaning an office, we’ll see a coin lying on the floor. When that happens, we put the coin on the nearest desk. One employee was almost annoyed that we were so honest​—‘It’s just a dime!’ she said. But you know what? We always had her confidence.”​—Julia.

 To think about: How might Julia’s reputation for honesty pay off when she needs a character reference for another job?

 The Bible says: “Do your utmost to present yourself approved to God, a workman with nothing to be ashamed of.”​—2 Timothy 2:​15.

  “I received a paycheck for 80 hours of work instead of 64. Although it would have been nice to keep it, I just couldn’t do that. I pointed it out to the accounting manager, and she was very grateful. The company is successful, but I wasn’t about to keep what would have felt like stolen money.”​—Bethany.

 To think about: Is stealing from a corporation any less dishonest than stealing from a person?

 The Bible says: “Jehovah detests a devious person, but His close friendship is with the upright.”​—Proverbs 3:32.