Due diligence

“Hang him out to dry, that’s what I say!”

Jade passionately addressed the company’s top leadership team. “It’s obvious he’s the one. I mean, Dennis is the guy who records the numbers, right?” They sat around the conference table, called to this emergency meeting when an audit turned up thousands of dollars in missing revenue.

All of them seemed to nod in agreement — except one, Dale. He sat with his hands folded in front of him, looking around the table at each team member.

“I understand,” he said. “We have reason to be worried. We have reason to be upset — angry even. But I have one question. Any of you ever been unjustly accused of anything? Further, any of you been fired and then found innocent?”

Blank looks were the only answers he received, so he continued. “So I have two words for us: Due diligence. It means we stop. It means we look. We ask questions. We listen. And we investigate. Dennis doesn’t handle the money. All he does is record the receipts management gives him. He never sees the money. All we have to do is stop and think to see that. Maybe he does know something. Maybe not. Making him the scapegoat won’t help us find the answers we need. And guess what? He may just turn around and sue us — ever think of that?”

The expressions around the table told Dale the clear answer to that one: No, they hadn’t.

Not to be deterred too long, Jade jumped right back into the conversation. “But I know both the managers there. They would never do something like this. It has to be Dennis. He got his hands on that money — somehow. Did you all know he’s planning a vacation to Europe? Now just how does a convenience store clerk and bookkeeper afford that? I’m telling you, he’s guilty. End of story. I say we call the cops now.”

Dale was amazed — and more than irritated. “Let me check something out right now.” He reached over to the conference room telephone on the table, pressed the speaker phone option, and dialed a number.

They all heard two rings and then the answer. “Store 4782. Jan speaking. How may I help you today?”

Good, Dale thought, Jan’s the head cashier — she knows everyone and everything. Dale asked her a simple question, “Hey Jan, Dale from the management team here. Is Dennis around? I heard he’s going to Europe on vacation — wow! I didn’t miss him, did I?”

Jan’s response was interesting — and enlightening. “Didn’t you hear about his uncle? The one who died last month before he could take his dream vacation? Well, Dennis inherited that vacation! Cool, huh? Anyway, he’ll be in later — 4 p.m., I think. You can call back then, OK?”

Dale smiled.”OK Jan.Thanks.” As he hung up the phone, Dale turned to the team. “Like I said, due diligence. Sometimes we don’t know what, or who, too well. We just think we do.”

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to learn that many members of your congregation are diligent in living out the truth.” (2 John 4, Message version).

This Scripture writer is commending these followers because they live their faith “diligently.” That is, they are conscious of their everyday choices. They measure their decisions based on their identity as followers of Christ. He reminds them that their “original and basic charter” is to conduct their lives in love.

If Jesus could “tag along” with you, say, for just a day, what would He see? Would He say how happy He is to see you “living out the truth” and conducting your life in love?

Most of us (OK all of us) could point to parts of yesterday that Jesus would be quite happy with. We’d say, “Sure, Jesus could say that about that part of my day but ... “

Before we grind ourselves down over the parts of our day that wouldn’t meet that criteria, let’s remember this: If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need Jesus.

Notice that this Scripture writer, even after praising these folks, feels the need to remind them where their lives are to be grounded — in love. They are to live in “due diligence” to their original rule. After all, God creates in love. God showers grace on us in love. God sent Jesus out of love for us. Call it God’s holy “due diligence.”

So how are we doing with our “due diligence?” Do we regularly “audit” (examine) our thoughts, words and actions? Do we submit them to Christ, asking Him to teach us with His grace through those times we aren’t so “diligent?”

If the “truth has taken up permanent residence in us,” let’s let His truth and love indeed rule our lives as our “basic charter” that this Scripture speaks of.