Canadian businessman and politician, Stanley J. Randall, said, “The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.”

Have you ever been tempted to exaggerate your credentials when completing a job application or updating a resume?

Desperate people will often lie in a competitive employment market. Some falsify education history or work experience, technical skills or positions held.  A survey from CareerBuilder revealed that 56% of over 2,000 hiring managers found a lie on applicant’s resumes.

Some actual examples include:

• the applicant who claimed to be a Nobel Prize winner.
• the applicant who claimed to have worked in a jail when they were really in there serving time.
• the applicant who actually claimed to be a former CEO of the company to which they were applying.

A recent case involved a high school principal in Pittsburg, Kansas, who resigned from her position after high school journalists uncovered her false credentials when researching her background for the school newspaper.

Numerous cases have made headlines. Others have simply not yet been caught.

Falsifying a resume is dishonest. Christians should flee all temptations of lying.

Many fail to experience God’s blessing because they choose to compromise. They miss the sanctification of waiting on His perfect timing. They miss the joy of answered prayer. They miss the satisfaction of working for a reward.

Only the Lord’s provision brings peace and contentment. The deceitful may prosper in the short run. But, their sin will find them out and truth will eventually be revealed….either in this world or the next.

God calls us to live as faithful stewards of all He has entrusted to us – our time, conversations, money, and actions. Crown’s online MoneyLife personal finance study pairs Scripture with timely, practical encouragement for your finances. Sign up today and learn what living as a steward means.