Integrity is a big word missing these days...
One definition of integrity is “The quality or state of
being of sound moral principle, uprightness, honesty and sincerity”. Integrity
is keeping a commitment even after circumstances have changed. And it is
practising honesty and uprightness in our everyday lives.
If we all practised integrity each and every day in our
relationships and workplaces, what could the world look like? There would be fewer
violence, fraud, crime and hate. And there would be less immorality, deception
and evil in this world.
Integrity is to live out your life in private in the same
way you live your life in public. And it always comes back to our character. And
character is the sum total of all your habits, either good or bad.
Proverbs 10:9 Whoever
walks with integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be
found out.
Now integrity can be subjective based on ethics, culture
and opinion. But the word of God paints a clear picture of what integrity looks
like and how it is practised.
Integrity is a combination of character qualities based
on the word of God. It is honesty, faithfulness, trustworthy, reliable, obedience,
kindness, selfless love, self controlled, responsible and generous.
Christians are called to a high standard before God and
man. To walk the walk and talk the talk. It is about being a credible witness
and that your faith is not only a belief but an everyday action. Practically, it
is speaking the truth, acting honourably, giving honour to others, and to love
one another sincerely.
The opposite of integrity is lying, stealing, cheating or
choosing evil over good. It is being unethical, deceptive and immoral, either
in private or public. A word that sums up all of these is hypocrisy which is to know something and to speak against something
but doing it anyway.
Just because we fall once doesn’t make us a hypocrite. That’s
what God’s grace and mercy are for. But when it becomes a lifestyle, that is
completely different.
Daniel 6:3-4 says, Now
Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his
exceptional qualities (excellent spirit) that the king planned to set him over
the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find
grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but
they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was
trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.
Daniel was an elderly man at this stage of his life and
scripture mentions he had an excellent spirit. This means he was set apart for
God, faithful, a man of prayer and above reproach. He not only prospered but
gave glory to God in a pagan land which had no choice but to see that Daniel’s
God was the true and living God.
Bill Johnson once said “When you steward something
faithfully increase will naturally follow”. Actively choose to practice integrity
today; you might be surprised what happens.
