Living lives of Integrity
“Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we
have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with
you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not
according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.” (2 Corinthians 1:12)
Last week we talked about the concept of integrity. What is it and why is it important. Since then, I have had a request to discuss
further about how we can walk in integrity.
So let’s begin by re-visiting the definition of this word.
According to Dictionary.com integrity means: “adherence
to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.”
Integrity is not something that passes on from family to
family like our DNA, it is something that is connected to our morals, character
and the way that we see the world around us.
All my life, both my Grandparents and parents continually drummed into
me the importance of a maintaining a good name; to be known for our integrity.
To develop Integrity one first has to desire it, and then
one must practice it. Think about it, if
you who have never run a 5k marathon, and then all of a sudden you decide that
you will try to run it. You can be sure
that your body will let you know that the idea is crazy. Integrity is a value
that develops from the daily practice of doing the right things over and over
again; until such a point that it becomes second nature.
So how does one walk in integrity?
Developing personal integrity requires examining your
beliefs and value system, and taking conscious steps to behave in ways that are
consistent with your personal moral code.
Many people have not thought through their personal value system. They’re not sure who they are or what they
stand for, and they wait until a crisis happens in their life to make their
decision. At that point, it’s too late.
Faced then with great pressure, you will be more prone to take the route which
is easier in that moment. Decide now
what you will and will not compromise on. Then, when faced with ethical choices, the
decision will have already been made.
There’s always a million reasons to compromise your
integrity. You hear them on the news
every day as corporate bigwigs struggle to justify their fat bonus checks. You can always come up with excuses that seem
to make good sense and let you sleep better at night. But at the end of the day, when you place your
excuses on a scale next to integrity, you’ll realize you sold out something
priceless for small change. There’s nothing more valuable than your good name
and the ability to look at yourself in the mirror each day with a clear
conscience.
When a great man falls from grace, we often wonder how he
could have ever messed up so royally. The truth is that he didn’t wake up one day
and decide to do something stupid. It
started with a tiny bit of lying here and there. From there he just kept on sliding down the
slippery slope of compromise. Don’t
compromise on the little things, and you won’t on the bigger ones.
Justifying a means for a
certain end is probably one of the most popular rationalizations
there is for breaking with your integrity. In reality, the journey toward an
accomplishment or decision is just as important as the destination itself. Even
if you are richly rewarded at the end, if you cannot look back on the means
used to get there with anything but shame, your victory will be hollow indeed.
At the heart of integrity is the ability to own up to the
fact that you are in control of your
life. You
are responsible for both your successes and your failures. Nobody else, but
you.
The first step towards integrity is being honest with
yourself. Be who you are. Say what you mean. Do what you say you will do. Don’t just walk the walk; talk the talk.
*Here
are some specific steps I think will help you get started:
1) Put in 40 Hours of Work for
40 Hours of Pay
You’re getting paid to do a job, not goof around.
2) Don’t Steal
Yeah, the business you work for doesn’t pay you enough.
And yeah, no one is going to miss that box of paperclips. But it’s still stealing!
3) Be Transparent in Your Dealing with People
Say what you mean, and do what you say!
4) If Your Company or Friends try to Pressure You
to Make Unethical Decisions, Walk Away
It’s not true every person has a price; a person of
integrity prizes their character above monetary security.
5) Don’t Take Credit for Others’
Success
Never take someone’s idea and pitch it as your own. And don’t jump on a wagon at the end of a
successful ride that you didn’t contribute to.
Integrity in Relationships
1) Be an Open Book
Don’t keep secrets from your spouse or close friend. Even if the secrets don’t affect them, if they
find out you’ve been keeping stuff from them, it will erode trust between you.
2) Avoid Emotional Cheating
Having integrity in regards to physical cheating is a
given. Harder still is avoiding
emotional cheating. If you find yourself
sharing more of your thoughts and feelings with a co-worker or friend than you
do with your spouse, it’s time to take a big step back.
3) End a Relationship When You Know
it’s over
If you’re dating someone and have reached the point where
you know the two of you don’t have a future together, don’t keep dragging them
along because you’re afraid to end things. Break it up!
4) Keep Your Promises
Always, always
follow-through with the things you said you will do. A person’s word is their bond. If you tell
your friends that you’ll hang out with them, and then that special someone you
like invites you over–too bad. You
already made other plans.
5) Don’t Talk about Other People
Saying something behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t
say to their face shows a distinct lack of integrity.
6) Be a Bank Vault
When friend trusts you with confidential information,
lock those secrets away. Nothing erodes
a friendship faster than to break a trust in the secrets department.
7) And finally, pray!
Pray for the godly traits of honesty, sincerity and
integrity. And that the Lord would help you maintain all that is good and
righteous in your employment, relationships, and all aspects of your life, and
not compromise the standard that He desires for you.
Walking in integrity is a very difficult choice. We
live in an imperfect world that seems to suggest that it’s foolish to be honest
and righteous. All around us we encounter people who actually appear to
be rewarded for being dishonest. This is a real challenge for the man or
woman who decides to walk in integrity.
“Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever
takes crooked paths will be found out.” (Proverbs 10:9)
What does integrity mean to you? What are some other
situations in which a man must show true integrity? Share your thoughts with
everyone.
Can God change
your life?
God has made it
possible for you to know Him, and experience an amazing
change in your own life.
Discover how you
can find peace with God.
