INTEGRITY IS IMPORTANT

INTEGRITY IS IMPORTANT

One afternoon when I was an executive assistant, my boss gave me a letter to type to a client and sign. It wasn’t an unusual request, but this time I was faced with a real dilemma. He lied in the letter. I didn’t want to lose my job by confronting him, but in my heart, I knew I didn’t want to sign my name to a lie. After debating with myself, I decided that if I lost my job, God would have to get me another one. I’d rather say no to my boss and yes to God. As it turned out I kept my job and my boss hated me the rest of the time I worked there.

That was a long time ago, but today I think there are many more opportunities to be dishonest: get a handicap card when we’re not handicapped, not go back and pay for the extra item that showed up in our cart, take the hacked fire stick so we don’t have to pay for a movie, and so many more things. These things may seem silly, or small infractions, but we must realize that a small fracture line in a baseball bat can end up splitting the bat in two and that goes for our lives as well.

We get very good at coming up with rationalizations as to why we “need” to be just a little less honest than a good conscience based on the Word of God would have us be. I have to be honest: I was the one who wanted the fire stick. (some of you know how much I love movies.) I took my sweet time coming around to doing the right thing. I debated with myself, rationalized and even had the nerve to tell myself, “Well I’m doing it for someone else’s benefit too, and I know they’ll be really happy with it.” (Sounds like Saul blaming his disobedience on “the people” in 1 Samuel 15:15, doesn’t it?)

For my walk with God, as a proclaimed minister, I can’t afford to be consciously dishonest in anything, and I don’t want to be. So I looked up some verses in the Bible, just to drill the importance into my heart once again.

Psalm 26:1 says: “Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.” In other words, when we don’t walk in integrity, we will slide! Who wants to slide away from God, for a few free movies? Not me!

Proverbs 19:1 says: “Better is the poor that is walking in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. The word, “perverse” means “twisted, distorted and crooked.” In other words, an honest poor man with God is better than a rich fool without Him.

What about our children? “The just man is walking in his integrity: his children are blessed after him” (Prov. 20:7). What are we teaching our children, if they see by our actions that we lack integrity and we’re not honest people?

And what about our businesses? What kind of people do you want working for us? Unfortunately, if people are dishonest in one category, they are most likely dishonest in more. Acts 6:3 is a great verse for doing a job search: “Wherefore, brethren, look you out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.”

And finally, the Apostle Paul exhorts us: “Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Happy New Year: a year of honesty, integrity and truth.

Love, Carolyn

Look for my new book- I am offering it for F R E E   . . . later THIS MONTH – WINGS Volume 2: JOURNEY WITH JESUS