What's
Integrity?
September 1, 2003
A biblical author once wrote, "Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus is
both eternal and unchanging. If the author of Hebrews had wanted
to use one word to describe Jesus as unchanging he could have
said, "Jesus possesses integrity." The word integrity speaks of
someone who is "whole or complete" and has the same root word as
does the word integrated. A man of integrity has taken the
principals that govern his life (like the Ten Commandments),
internalized them and integrated them into every area of his
life.
A man of integrity isn't like a weathervane that
changes direction with every shift of the social winds. He's
like a compass that is internally magnetized so it always points
north regardless of what's happening around it. He is honest at
work and at home. He keeps promises even if it means a financial
loss. He speaks well of his clients in their presence and behind
their back. He doesn't treat his wife with respect in public and
belittle her behind closed doors. A man of integrity doesn't
switch masks to win the favor of the audience he's playing for.
Because men of integrity don't pretend to be
something they're not, with them, what you see is what you get,
literally. And it's not that men of integrity are perfect--they
aren't. But they're aware of their weaknesses and don't lead
others to believe they have no personal flaws.
Sometimes men think that their children need a
"perfect" father. They don't. What they need in a father is a
man of integrity. They need someone who is in the process of
growing and talks honestly about the process. Ultimately, our
children will embrace what we do, not what we say. This week,
evaluate your life. See how closely your behavior corresponds to
what you say you believe. Ask God for the grace you need to live
in such a way that there is an almost perfect correspondence
between what your beliefs and your behavior. Ask God to make you
a man of integrity.
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