Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Proverbs 10:9
Integrity is one thing we all have control over. Though there are many things in our life that are hard to change or overcomb, we all have the ability to walk in integrity. Unfortunately, far too often we experience people who choose to make their way crooked.
A lack of integrity has always been around. Those who suspend the truth in order to make financial gains, power grabs or anything that tries to satisfy their hearts desires. The old west was full of crooked horse traders, snake-oil salesmen and those selling mining hoaxes taking advantage of every opportunity to deceive others for their personal gain. However what was common then has seemed to become a more normalized marketing strategy today. You go in for a routine oil change and all of a sudden your vehicle needs new brakes, it’s a safety issue after all. Maybe your furnace or air conditioner or other home appliances aren’t working as well as they used to. So you talk to an “expert” only to be convinced that what you really need is the latest and greatest instead of fixing what you have. Sometimes, even when we go to someone we think we should be able to trust like a doctor, they attempt to overprescribe because afterall, there’s a pill for everything.
The bait and switch, clever marketing techniques and deceptive or manipulative tactics abound.
Not all of course, there are still some trusted people and businesses out there with, well, integrity.
Unfortunately, it’s not just in the marketplace. Manipulation runs rampant in families, relationships and the workplace. It pains me to say the church isn’t exempt here either and in my mind this is the biggest tragedy.
Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. In other words, it’s moral uprightness. God is morally upright, in fact, He is morally outstanding, the one who sets the moral standard. As born again Christians, we must strive to be better than this world, better than the ruler of this world. Our enemy at his core is a deceiver and a lier. The world and our flesh fall to the temptations of the crooked way time and time again.
We must be intentional in our integrity. We must do so to first honor God and second to be a light in the darkness of this world. As James puts it, let you yes be yes and your no be no (James 5:12).
If a professing believer in Jesus Christ does not show integrity in all areas of their life then their representation of God will also be called into question. That may sound blunt, but this is just the way it is. Why? Because if a faith in Christ does not transcend all areas of our life, really what good is it? Believe me when I say, people are watching. They are listening to our words, but watching our actions even closer.
In Philippians 4:8, Paul encourages us to have integrity.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Show the depth of your faith by living with integrity.
Jason Metz, lead Pastor
