1. “All other traits of God’s teachers rest on trust.” Once trust has been achieved, the other character traits of the teacher of God cannot fail to follow. For example, honesty. Only the trusting can afford to be honest, for only they can see the value of honesty.

Let us look first at what honesty is according to Jesus in the Course. Honesty does not apply only to what you say. The term actually means consistency. In essence, then:

There is nothing that you say that contradicts what you think or do;

No thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word,

And no word lacks agreement with another.

(1:6)

So, honesty is consistency in thought, word and deed. Such are the truly honest. At no level are they in conflict with themselves. Therefore it is impossible for them to be in conflict with anyone or anything.

2. “The peace of mind which the advanced teachers of God experience is largely due to their perfect honesty.” It is only the wish to deceive that makes for war. No one at war with himself and his own integrity can avoid conflict. And no one at one with himself can even conceive of conflict. Because conflict is the inevitable result of self-deception, and self-deception is dishonesty.

There is no challenge to a teacher of God. Challenge implies doubt, and the trust on which God’s teachers rest secure makes doubt impossible. Therefore they can only succeed. In this, as in all things, they are honest. They can only succeed, because they never do their will alone.

They choose for all mankind; for all the world and all things in it;

for the unchanging and unchangeable beyond appearances;

and for the Son of God and his Creator.

(2:10)

So how could they not succeed? They choose in perfect honesty, as sure of their choice as of themselves.

Because the advanced teacher of God implicitly trusts the world, knowing that it, too, is under the laws of God, he can afford to be completely honest. He is not afraid of what will ensue, for he is not protecting a false image of himself. He is not trying to be something that he is not. His honesty, in fact, is rooted in self-honesty. He has acknowledged to himself and to God what he knows to be the truth about himself: that he is God’s Son; he is the holy Son of God.

On the foundation of this inner honesty, he is able to demonstrate an outer honesty that vastly exceeds conventional standards. Not only are his words honest, but his actions are as well. He follows through with what he says. He keeps his word. He practices what he teaches. He embodies, in other words, a kind of ultra-integrity to the point where all of his thoughts, words, and actions are completely in harmony with one another. There is a trueness that runs all the way through him, through his inner thoughts and his outer expression of those thoughts. At no level is he in conflict with himself, and this gives him a peace of mind that those who are dishonest can only dream of. And one day, they, too, will see things differently. They, too, will remember who they are, who their brother is and Who GOD IS.

MANUAL FOR TEACHERS

4.II. HONESTY

RECAP

1. “All other traits of God’s teachers rest on trust.” Once trust has been achieved, the other character traits of the teacher of God cannot fail to follow. For example – honesty follows trust.

2. Only the trusting can afford to be honest, for only they can see the value of honesty.

3. HONESTY IS CONSISTENCY in thought, word and deed. There is nothing that you say that contradicts what you think or do; no thought opposes any other thought; no act belies your word; and no word lacks agreement with another (1:6)

4. “The peace of mind which the advanced teachers of God experience is largely due to their perfect honesty.”

5. No one at war with himself and his own integrity can avoid conflict. Yet, no one at one with himself and his integrity can even conceive of conflict. At no level are the honest in conflict, and this brings PERFECT PEACE OF MIND.

6. Anyone who chooses perfect honesty can only succeed, because they never do their will alone.

7. The honest have a kind of ultra-integrity to the point where all thoughts, words, and actions are completely in harmony with one another. There is a trueness that runs all the way through – through inner thoughts and the outer expressions of those thoughts.

8. To develop HONESTY, look to the Holy Spirit for Guidance and Light, the same as with TRUST. It will be SO CLEAR what you are to think, say and do. And you will experience the perfect peace of mind and the perfect happiness that accompany honesty and trust. AMEN.