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.”
“Sorry, you have neither good qualifications nor work experience, so you don’t meet our requirements.”
When she went abroad, Meihui wanted to find a steady job. When she saw that her savings were almost gone and she had not found a job yet, she became very anxious. Sitting in a bus, she looked at the beautiful sights of the foreign land out of the window, but she felt unhappy and was filled with melancholy …
When she was on her way back home feeling discouraged, Meihui met a relative and he asked her, “Meihui, how was your interview today?” Meihui sighed and talked to him about what she had experienced. Her relative said, “You’re too honest. You should have said, ‘I graduated from high school and I used to work in China.’ Then you would’ve been hired.” “But if I say that, isn’t this cheating others?” Meihui asked. Her relative continued, “For the sake of your livelihood, you must lie and exaggerate. In fact, success in an interview depends on work experience. If problems arise in your work, you can say the way of doing the job is different between the two countries. Isn’t that enough?” Hearing the advice of her relative, Meihui felt what he said was 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 livelihood, 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 that the Lord teaches us to be honest people, and it is definitely not after His heart to get a job by telling lies. She thought, “Even though I have little education and no work experience I shouldn’t tell lies to deceive others, because I’m 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 to God.” Then Meihui had the confidence in her heart and proper direction of practice.
The next day, Meihui learned that a company was looking for some new employees and she went to attend an interview. When he saw her, the boss asked, “What’s your level of education?” “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. Subsequently, she didn’t receive notice to start work.
When her relatives and friends learned 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 the job be in the bag?” Hearing this, Meihui felt disappointed and lost, and thought, “Is there anything wrong in my being honest? Why do they always blame me this way?” But on second thoughts, she remembered the two failures. It seemed that finding a job was so difficult for a person like her, who had neither good qualifications 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 financial 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 for my predicament. 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 financial constraints, with the result that my relatives and friends say I’m losing out 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 or 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 hands. Just as God’s words say, “Of everything that occurs in the universe, there is nothing in which I do not have the final say. Is there anything that is not in My hands?”
One day, Meihui learned that a kindergarten was recruiting some new members of staff, 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 asks me about my education level and work experience, I will surely tell the truth. Although I really 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 had great steadiness in her heart.
At the interview, Meihui told the truth about her background. The schoolmaster said in astonishment, “You’re very honest! Well, it doesn’t matter whether or not you have a good educational background or work experience. You just need to watch over the children well.” On hearing this, Meihui was very excited and said, “All right. Please kindly give me your advice when necessary. I will try my best to do the job well.” The schoolmaster smiled, “I think we’ll work well together.” Meihui knew it was God that had found the job for her, and she especially cherished it. She also persisted in being honest during work. No matter when interacting with her workmates or the parents, she always lived according to God’s requirements, and she was responsible and serious when doing everything. Later on, the schoolmaster paid her the highest wage among her workmates, and also gave her special treatment, such as letting her take the school bus so that she could get off work earlier than the others and not 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, spiritual happiness and the trust of others. And she further confirmed God’s words, “Taking the road of being an honest person is never a mistake!”