Part 5: Christian Living
One of the very best ways to build your self-regard is to do well in your studies without need to cheat. Cheating cheats you out of your self-respect. Without self-respect, life can become a great deal more difficult.
Today's world provides thousands of examples of dishonesty. There is cheating in both high places and low. Some, but not all, politicians cheat. Some, but not all, merchants cheat. Some of the students in your classes may cheat, but not every one of them. When you are able to get a good grade, even compared to those who cheat, you can live with pride knowing that you earned it yourself.
The decision to cheat is a decision made by you alone. No one makes you cheat and few will be angry with you if you don't.
If you cheat in school you will get your diploma, but you will not understand your subjects. When you are an adult you will be a sub-standard employee who cannot do his job well. You will find yourself working for a lower wage and, likely, be among the first on the lay-off list. You will also have to stand aside and watch better prepared people get the interesting projects and advancements. Too, your future family will have less income and, perhaps, will not be able to get many needed things. You see, if you cheat in school, you will also cheat your future wife and children.
If you are a Christian you must ask yourself, "Would Jesus cheat on this test?" The answer is no. Knowing the horrors of His coming crucifixion our Lord did not cheat us of our salvation through His sacrifice. He could have run away, or cheated, but He did not. From this we know that He never cheated in any way. If you, as a Christian, cheat or help another to cheat, you are not living up to the example set by our Lord. Helping others do a wrong thing hurts both you and them.
The word honesty, or some form of it, occurs eleven times in the King James Version of the Bible. Paul urges in the book of Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 17, to "provide things honest in the sight of all men." He also urges Christians to live "In all godliness and honesty." See I Timothy, Chapter 2, Verse 2.
You will face many classroom situations, but the standard for decisions will always be the same: What would Jesus do if He were in my shoes? Be a good example before your friends, and your teachers so that you might lead them to Christ.