"The Softest Pillow is a Clear Conscience"

I attend a men's small group on Wednesday mornings that has been reading a book by Bill George titled, "True North." It is a book that helps leaders discover who they are and then motivates them to leverage their strengths for their cause. Of the many great lessons in the book, the one that stands out most poignantly to me came from the founder and former CEO of Infosys, Narayana Murthy.

Founding the company in India, the Infosys team was pressed to take shortcuts because of widespread corruption. But their dream was to "demonstrate that you could run a business in India without corruption and create wealth, legally and ethically." So they did it the right way and achieved their dreams.

In explaining what drove them to play by the rules, Murthy said, "We always believed that the softest pillow was a clear conscience." That's great a lesson to learn and an even greater one to live by.

I couldn't help but think of Murthy's observation as I read the account of Jacob's sleeplessness in Genesis 32.

A little background...
Jacob and Esau were twins born to Isaac and Rebekah. Esau, the oldest, was a powerful man of the outdoors, a master grill-smith, and the favorite of his father who just happened to love barbecue. Jacob, on the other hand, was more of a momma's boy.

As the oldest, Esau was in line for most of the family's estate as well as his father's blessing. Through a series of events that Jerry Springer wouldn't believe, Jacob ended up with Esau's birthright and his father's blessing. To save his hide, Jacob skipped town and was gone for 20 years.

In Genesis 32, we find Jacob and his guilt-stained conscience coming home to face the music. Needless to say, the night before the confrontation with Esau was a sleepless one. He actually spent the entire night wrestling with God in an effort to secure God's blessing and divine protection from his brother.

The remarkable part of the story is that as Jacob faced death, he got his priorities straight. He made a commitment to God and essentially offered his entire estate to Esau in hopes that he would be forgiven and allowed to live.

The irony is that what Jacob offered in exchange for his life was what he had stolen from his brother years before. All the things that he wanted so desperately, he now despised. He would obviously do anything in his power for an opportunity to start over. He learned what Murthy knew all along, it is better to have a clear conscience and good sleep than to take short cuts to achieve your goals.

Proverbs 3:21-24
21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; 22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. 23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble; 24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

How soft is your pillow? How sweet is your sleep?