(箴言 20:17)
“以虛謊而得的食物，人覺甘甜．但後來他的口，必充滿塵沙。”
這段經文很有畫面。在希伯來文的原文中，虛謊不單是指說謊，更是一種欺騙與偽裝的行為，而得到的食物則是代表利益。人透過不誠實的手法得到利益時，當下確實會覺得像吃美味的食物一樣，有一種感官上的愉悅和甘甜。
然而，這種利益只是一場幻覺。經文警告我們，後來他的口必充滿塵沙。這就像你滿心期待地咬下一大口肥美的和牛，卻發現裡面全都是碎石和沙礫，不單失去了甜味，更有可能咬碎牙齒，帶來劇烈的痛楚與傷害。
這在現代的職場上也非常常見。有些人為了得到老闆的賞識、升職加薪，或是為了保住前途，不惜在背後陷害同事、搶奪別人的功勞，或是利用灰色手法來包裝業績數據。雖然在剛成功的時候，會覺得沾沾自喜、非常甜美，但職場上沒有永遠的秘密，紙是包不住火的。當虛假的手段被揭穿，或者漏洞大到無法掩飾時，隨之而來的就是誠信破產、同事間失去信任，甚至要面對法律責任。這種被孤立、要用無數謊言去掩飾謊言的精神折磨，就正如滿口塵沙，最終只會帶來靈性的枯乾與生命的極大傷害。
聖經的真理必定會實踐，凡不是建立在誠實上面的東西，最後都一定會變成惡果。因此，我們自己千萬不要這樣做，要堅持真理。同時，當我們看見別人用不誠實的手法上位時，也不需要覺得憤憤不平或羨慕，因為神的話語已經說明，他們最終必會自食惡果。我們只需要將一切交託給神，靠著主得著真正的平安與飽足。
(Proverbs 20:17)
“Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.”
This scripture is highly visual. In the original Hebrew, deceit does not merely mean telling a lie; it refers to an act of deception and disguise, while the food obtained represents gain or benefit. When a person gains profit through dishonest means, they indeed feel a sense of sensory pleasure and sweetness at that moment, just like eating delicious food.However, this kind of gain is merely an illusion. The scripture warns us that afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel. It is like biting into a big piece of juicy wagyu beef with great expectation, only to find that it is completely filled with pebbles and grit. Not only is the sweetness gone, but it could also shatter your teeth, bringing intense pain and injury.
This is also very common in the modern workplace. In order to win the boss’s appreciation, get a promotion and a raise, or secure their future, some people do not hesitate to stab colleagues in the back, steal credit from others, or use grey areas to manipulate performance data. Although they might feel complacent and very sweet when they first succeed, there are no permanent secrets in the workplace; what is done in the dark will eventually come to light. When the deceptive methods are exposed, or when the loopholes become too large to hide, what follows is bankruptcy of integrity, total loss of trust among colleagues, and even legal liabilities. This kind of spiritual torment—being isolated and having to use countless lies to cover up previous lies—is just like having a mouth full of sand and gravel, ultimately leading to spiritual dryness and immense harm to one’s life.
The truth of the Bible will surely be fulfilled, and anything that is not built on honesty will eventually turn into bitter fruit. Therefore, we must never do this ourselves and must hold fast to the truth. At the same time, when we see others rising to the top through dishonest means, we do not need to feel indignant or envious, because the Word of God has already made it clear that they will ultimately reap what they sow. We only need to commit everything to God and rely on the Lord to receive true peace and satisfaction.
