INTEGRITY

Why does it seem that the very fabric of our society is becoming unraveled amid the revelations of lust, greed and immorality in high and low places? What is happening and where are we headed? Has there ever been a more critical time in history when we needed people of integrity? The need for integrity today is perhaps as great as it has ever been. Integrity is essential if we are going to become people who positively and powerfully impact others.

What is integrity?  The dictionary defines integrity as “the quality or state of being of sound moral principles, uprightness, honesty and sincerity.” What does being moral mean? Again, according to the dictionary moral means “capable of making the distinction between right and wrong in conduct.” That’s man’s definition, but what about God’s?

God’s integrity is doing the right thing even if it cost us. It means obeying God’s law, speaking only truth and putting the other person ahead of ourselves. It means displaying the character of God in our daily walk. There will be times that we will find we have to stand-alone when we take a stand for the truth. Take a stand anyway. 

Integrity is the foundation of character. The single most important quality we can ever develop that will enhance every part of our life is the value of integrity.  A person with integrity will be totally honest and truthful in every part of their life. It is our choice of values and resolution to live by those values that form our character and personality.  Only a person who is consistently living a life with the highest values and virtues is a person truly living a life of integrity. People with high integrity realize that everything they do is a statement about them.

Our integrity is manifested in adhering to the values that are most important to us. It is easy to make promises but often very hard to keep them. But every time we keep a promise that we’ve made, it is an act of integrity, which strengthens our character.

Walking in integrity. More than anything, walking in integrity means that our words and actions are in agreement. In times past in the United States, it was said, “a man’s word was his bond.” If a man said he would do something, that was it, you could take those words to the bank and be sure he would carry them out. Business deals worth many thousands of dollars were concluded on a word and a handshake.

God’s nature defines moral values. A righteous or upright moral character is a reflection of God’s character; a depraved or corrupt moral character is anything that goes against, or is contrary to God’s character.

Values influence conduct. What we believe will influence what we do. We may be able to hide our true values, character and motives for a while; but when we do so, we merely introduce another character trait in our lives and that is hypocrisy. We cannot hide it forever. In the end, the day will come in which our true character will be exposed and known to all.