Here's a rather convicting blog by Seth Godin, a marketing guru and blogging champion. As far as I know, Seth's not a Christian, but he does a great job of describing the values of integrity and honor. In the following blog, he shares about something that is generally lacking in American culture, both inside and outside of the church.
 
I emailed Seth a few months ago with a few questions about marketing for nonprofits; he could've (and probably should've) ignored me, but instead he chose to show integrity and responded rather quickly. He tried to point me in the right direction without wasting his or my time.
 
We followers of Christ could do the Kingdom a service and heed the example of Seth and secular business by treating people with the same respect and honor with which we would also like be treated. I know that I'm guilty of not respecting people's time, and this blog really spoke to me. I hope it speaks to you and your situation, too:

Here's the #1 most overlooked secret of marketing, of growing your organization, of building trust and creating for the long haul. Actually, it has two parts:

Show up on time. It doesn't cost anything to keep your promises when it comes to time. Show up for the meeting when the meeting starts. Have the dry cleaning ready when you promise. Ship on time. Return that phone call. Finish the renovation ahead of schedule.

Boy that's simple. Apparently, it's incredibly difficult.

If you want to build trust, you need to be trustworthy. The simplest test of trustworthiness for most people is whether or not you keep your promises, and the first promises you make are about time.

Cherish my time. The second part is closely related. It has to do with respect. You respect my time when you don't waste it. When you don't spam me. When you worry about the 100 cars backed up on the road and figure out how to get us moving more quickly. You respect me when you value my time more highly than your own.

If you want someone to think you're selfish, just ask for a minute of their time and then waste it or use it for your own ends. Or automate the process so three minutes of your time wastes three minutes of the 1,000 or one million people on your list.

In a society where so many people have enough, few people have time to spare. When you waste it (by breaking a promise and being late) or abuse it (by viewing your time as worth more than mine), we respond by distrusting you, ignoring you and eventually moving on.

How often do you show up late? What do you think that communicates to those who are waiting on you? How often do you waste people's time? For more poignant bits on business and life, visit Seth Godin's blog.