INTEGRITY

   

 This thought has been rolling around in my spirit for the past few days so I finally decided to share it. It’s about a particular word and its definition is often not fully understood. This word often became a subject of strong discussion, especially in our Ministry or Biblical Leadership classes when I was an instructor at a Bible college. The word? INTEGRITY…

     One question that kept surfacing was, “Why is that so many pastors, church & ministry leaders are lacking in this area?”  By the way, my former students agreed that integrity should be a strong character trait for any Christian, not just leaders.  Another question asked was, “Why do so many people not follow through with doing things they said they would do?” That leads to distrust.

     The dictionary definition of integrity is: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.  SYNONYMS: honesty, rectitude, honor, good character, principle(s), ethics,morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness,scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness.  "I never doubted his integrity" "He is known to be a man of integrity"

     Look at Proverbs 11:3 -  The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

     Dr .Richard J. Krejcir says “The (character of integrity exhibits the obedience and practice of the moral code of ethics, morals, values, and precepts from God's Word. In practice, integrity will produce honor, truth, and reliability. It will allow one to keep his or her word and do the best even when no one else is aware. This is essential for deeper relationships, and of course for developing other people's confidence in you and Christianity.”

     I totally agree with that statement!       What does this look like in our everyday lives? Here are a few things to consider:

·         Do I follow through with what I say?

·         Do I keep promises I’ve made?

·         Does my character line up with biblical attributes?

·         Does my language sound redeemed?

     Am I saying that we have to be perfect, that mistakes never happen? No. But as Hebrews 12:14 says: “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord”.

     Now that you know a little more about the word integrity.  Make sure you can follow through with the promises you make to others before speaking them out.

     This post is by no means a complete study on this subject, rather just a little something to chew on, especially in light of all the political promises we have been hearing about for months now. One thing we know, Jesus never fails and He keeps ALL His promises!