Genesis 34:18–19
And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor’s son. And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob’s daughter:
… and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.

Hamor and Shechem agreed to the demand immediately. There was no delay. The text says the young man deferred not to do the thing. Why? Because he delighted in Dinah. He wanted her, and he was willing to do whatever it took to make the arrangement happen.

Then we read a statement that almost catches us off guard. Shechem was more honourable than all the house of his father. In other words, he was not just making empty promises. He meant what he said. He was sincere. He was making a deal he intended to keep.

But that does not make him right.

That is the point we cannot miss. A man can be sincere and still be sinful. He can be earnest and still be guilty. He can follow through on his word and still be completely wrong at the core of the matter.

That is where people get confused. We tend to think that if someone is serious, if someone is emotional, if someone is willing to make sacrifices, that must count for righteousness. But sincerity is not the same thing as innocence.

Shechem may have been more honourable than the rest of his household in the sense that he meant business and intended to keep his word. But the whole situation was still built on something corrupt. He had already violated Dinah. So no matter how quickly he acted, no matter how honestly he meant to carry out the agreement, the foundation was still rotten.

And that is a needed word for all of us.

Because sometimes we confuse intensity with integrity. We think that because we feel strongly, or speak passionately, or follow through firmly, that somehow proves we are right. It does not. A man can be very genuine and still be very wrong.

God does not look only at how strongly a person feels. He looks at the truth of the matter. He looks at the heart. He looks at whether the whole thing is rooted in righteousness.

So yes, Shechem was sincere. Yes, he intended to keep the deal. Yes, in one sense he was more honourable than those around him.

But sincere does not mean innocent.

And that is something worth remembering, because in our own lives we can sometimes be deeply convinced about something that is still not right before the Lord. We can mean well and still need repentance. We can be fully committed and still be off course.

So the issue is not merely, “Do I mean it?”
The deeper issue is, “Is it right?”