A GUIDEPOSTS OUTREACH PUBLICATION

by norman vincent peale

h o n o rbe true to yourself and to others

guideposts outreach

Guideposts, founded by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale andhis wife Ruth Stafford Peale in 1945, is a nonprofitinterfaith ministry dedicated to helping people from allwalks of life achieve their maximum personal and spiritualpotential. Its inspirational products and programs springfrom two major beliefs: that true stories are a powerful wayto motivate people to lead better lives and that faith in Godcan be strengthened by applying spiritual truths to daily life.

Guideposts Outreach Ministries strives to fulfill our missionby providing inspirational publications free of charge tohospitals, nursing homes, churches, military personnel,correctional facilities and other organizations that servethe public. In addition, we invite our readers to send theirprayer requests–by mail, by phone, by e-mail (the contactinformation is in the back of this booklet). Every workingday, Guideposts’ staff and volunteers pray for these requestsby name and need.

For additional information about Guideposts OutreachMinistries, please e-mail outreach@guideposts.org.

2 introduction

4 confidence

6 strength

10 happiness

14 honesty

16 dedication

20 respect

22 courage

26 virtue

h o n o rbe true to yourself and to others

the young man in the hospital bedhad an engaging smile, yet there were linesof pain etched around his eyes. He was on award at Walter Reed Army Medical Centerin Washington, D.C., an infantry soldierrecovering from wounds sustained in Iraq.“Chaplain,” he told me, “I knew I mightdie, but I wasn’t afraid. I knew I was rightwith God.” He reached under his pillowand pulled out a booklet called Hope. “I hadthis.” It was from Guideposts.

He is one of the reasons that, after I retiredas Chief of Chaplains for the U.S. Army,I joined forces with Guideposts. I want tohelp with the distribution of publicationslike the one the young soldier had with himin battle. This is my way of honoring themen and women who are putting their liveson the line for our country.

introductionA Word About This Booklet

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We have titled this booklet Honor, and weare dedicating it to these men and women.It seems that Norman Vincent Peale hadthem in mind when he wrote: “We aredesigned so that our heads climb towardthe sky. We have an ‘up thrust’ about us.”Honor consists of many things, as you willread in the pages that follow.

May God richly bless all those who light thepath to freedom.

gaylord t. gunhusChaplain (MG) USA, RET.

confidence

We know that in everything God works for the good ofthose who love him.(romans 8:28)

AFrom time to time every person looksahead at the future and wonders what itholds. He is also likely to ask himself howhe can bring about a future that is one ofdignity, honor, usefulness and fulfillment.You and I wonder: What will be my future in thischaotic world?

If you want to hitch your wagon to dignity,honor, usefulness and fulfillment, I canthink of no better way than to observe thepowerful text of Romans 8:28. If youdedicate your life to loving God, everythingthat happens to you—harsh, painful, hardthough it may be—combines with all therest of your experience for good. If you arein harmony with God’s will and mindful ofhis love, your life will turn difficulties intoblessings, chaos into order, discouragementinto victory. 5

strength

If anyone belongs to Christ, there is a new creation.The old things have gone; everything is made new!(ii corinthians 5:17)

AJust because you have had moments ofweakness, don’t believe that you are weak atheart. Even the strongest among us havefallen short. When soldiers arrested Jesusin the garden of Gethsemane, his disciplesscurried away in fear. But Peter followed ata distance to the high priest’s house. Hecrept up to a fire in the courtyard wherethree bystanders identified him as afollower of Jesus. After Peter denied himthe third time, Jesus caught his eye andlooked straight at him.

Peter fled and wept bitterly. Three times hehad weakened and betrayed his Savior. Butlater, this same Peter rededicated himselfto Jesus. He lived and died for his Lord sothat others would know Jesus and love himas Peter did.

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Don’t let past weakness define who you are.Leave it behind like Peter. Turn your regretinto strength: Serve the Lord, do yourduty, be honorable, and you will be atpeace with yourself.

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happiness

Give, and you will receive…. The way you give to othersis the way God will give to you.(luke 6:38)

AA couple I had married complained that theywere no longer happy together and sought myadvice. You can be sure I gave it to them, andhere is the very core of what I said. Achievinghappiness is a particularly Americanexpectation, and it seems that we demand itmore zealously from marriage than from anyother institution. However, the marriageceremony doesn’t mention a word abouthappiness. I sometimes wonder if thisobsession with being happy—of having thingsjust the way we want them—isn’t becoming akind of American disease. What we need toget back in our marriages and our lives are thequalities of toughness, endurance and honor.

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The key to success in all human relationshipsis as simple as mastering the art of givinghappiness. Instead of expecting happiness,give it. Yes, to do that you have to putsomeone else first. But when you master theart of giving happiness, you will discover thatyou can’t give it without getting it back.

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honesty

…as long as I am alive and God’s breath of life is inmy nose, My lips will not speak evil, and my tongue willnot tell a lie.(job 27:3-4)

AI’ve had people tell me that it doesn’t pay tobe good. From the days of Job right up tothe here and now the righteous havesuffered, while the evil have flourished likethe green bay tree. Never mind.

No good thing is withheld from those whoare upright. We are designed so that ourheads climb toward the sky. We have an“up thrust” about us. We have minds thatcan reach beyond the stars, even to theintricacies of space. Stand tall in postureand be upright in all things, as God meantyou to be. Reach up until you make contactwith the great flow of truth. Once you do,no good thing in this great universe will bedenied you.

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dedication

Evil people run even though no one is chasing them,but good people are as brave as a lion.(proverb 28:1)

AIn the museum at Independence Hall inPhiladelphia hang the portraits of thefounders of America, the writers of theDeclaration of Independence, as well as thesigners. When I studied these portraits,I observed that each man appears to havethe eyes of a daredevil. The eyes of theseintellectual and cultured men seem to say,“We know that by signing this document wewill be hanged as rebels if our nation fails.But we believe in freedom; we pledge ourfortunes and our sacred honor forsomething that is great.”

You cannot look at these men’s portraitswithout being affected. They inspire youto say, “I too must dedicate myself tosomething big in my time.” If our founderscreated freedom in their time, it is ouropportunity to save it in ours. This is being 17

big; this is being great. Dare to take bigsteps to keep America the haven ourfounders created it to be.

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respect

I give you a new command: Love each other. You mustlove each other as I have loved you.(john 13:34)

ATake a good look at yourself in front of amirror. Is there a good person looking backat you? How do you feel about you? Doyou have a clear conscience? Are youcomfortable in your own skin? If not, thereis something you can do. I will guaranteethat if you do it and make a practice of it,then you will like the person who appearswhen you stand before a mirror.

Fix one word in your mind: Others. Alwaysbe mindful of them. How much yourespect and honor others in your thoughtsand deeds is directly related to how muchyou respect yourself. It is impossible toreach out to another in need and then notfeel great.

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courage

Now, choose life! Then you and your children maylive. To choose life is to love the Lord your God, obeyhim, and stay close to him.(deuteronomy 30:19-20)

AFollowing a speech I made in Boston to agathering of salespeople, a nice-lookingcouple in their early 40s came up to me.The wife asked if she could shake my handbecause she had read some of my booksand, through them, felt a kinship with me.“Also,” she added, “I thought that if Icould just take your hand it would helpme. Recently we lost our little boy. He wasonly seven. He was a happy child andeveryone loved him. He was playing withsome other children near a constructionsite when a heavy plank fell on him andkilled him instantly.”

I shook her hand and then told her how sorryI was. “How long ago did this happen?”

“Six weeks,” she answered. 23

“You are meeting your loss very bravely,”I said.

“We see it like this,” she said. “We havethree other children and we don’t want tobring gloom and sadness into our home.We must think of them, as well as ourselves.

“We know the good Lord will sustain us andhelp us handle our sorrow so that ourfamily may grow stronger as a result of ourlittle boy’s death.”

“Give me back your hand,” I said and tookher husband’s hand too. “You are aninspiration to me.”

Tragedy, death and emotional pain did notdefeat this couple. Instead they honoredtheir commitment to their family. Theychose life so that their family could liveabundantly. 25

virtue

I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the leastof my people here, you also did for me.(matthew 25:40)

AOn Christmas Eve when I was seven, I waswith my father, loaded down withpackages, tired and annoyed, anxious toget home, when a bleary-eyed, unshaven,old man touched my hand and asked formoney. Instinctively I recoiled andbrushed him aside.

My father said, “Norman, you should nottreat a man that way.”

“But, Dad, he’s nothing but a bum.”

“Bum?” he replied. “There is no suchthing. Maybe he hasn’t made the most of

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himself, but he is a child of God. Alwayslook on a person with esteem.”

My father handed me a dollar, which was alot for him, and said, “I want you to go upto him and tell him you are giving him thisdollar in the name of God.”

“Oh,” I said, “I don’t want to do that.”

“Go and do as I tell you.”

The man had shuffled away, so I ran up tohim and said, “Excuse me, sir. I give youthis dollar in the name of God.”

The man looked at me in astonishment.Then a wonderful smile spread over hisface, a smile full of life and beauty. I forgotthat he was dirty and unshaven. I could seehis real face through the grime.

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Graciously, he said, “I thank you, sir, inthe name of God.”

My annoyance vanished. The very streetsuddenly seemed beautiful. I had a glimpseof the transformation that comes overpeople when you honor them as childrenof God.

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Please ShareYour StoryWe’d like to hear about how this booklet has

made a positive impact in your life. Please e-mailus at outreach@guideposts.org or write us at:

Guideposts66 East Main StreetPawling, NY 12564Attention: Outreach

Your story will be considered for publication inone of Guideposts’ family of inspirational media.We will contact you for permission should we wishto print it.

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