Intregrity/Honesty

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April 5

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023

If there is one character trait that is sadly and sorely missed today it is integrity. Plain, old-fashioned honesty. Disagree? I double-dog-dare you to prove I’m wrong. Sorry. You lose! 🙂

I wish it weren’t so. It used to be a man’s word was his bond. A handshake was enough to seal a deal. A verbal “Yes” was enough to put a deal to rest. We didn’t need 200 sheets of paper filled with legalese that only lawyers can understand. Maybe…

There is a story of a pastor who boarded the bus, and after he took his seat, realized the driver had given him too much change. While some would consider that their good fortune, this pastor came to his stop and told the driver that he made a mistake and gave him too much change. The driver responded: “I didn’t make a mistake. I was in church last night and heard you speak on honesty and wanted to see if you practiced what you preached.”  (Side note: I would be in trouble because I tend to pocket my change immediately, often not even counting it. I trust the cashiers to give me the right change. Hmmm. Guess I’ll have to rethink that approach). 🙂

Living with integrity these days is a challenge. It is not the norm. Sure we have our leadership gurus who talk about it and stress its importance, but it often hits deaf ears. It is a known and much-needed quality. But just because we know it doesn’t mean we do it.

I once read a quote by humorist Will Rogers: “So live that you wouldn’t mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip.” That made me chuckle and think at the same time.

Mr. Businessman or Ms. Businesswoman. Pastor. Nurse. Doctor. Teacher. Student. Whatever you do, do it with honesty and integrity. It is sometimes hard to do so, and sometimes tempting not to, but so worth it in the end.

February 21

Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

It was several years after getting into the ministry that I heard a new word to me. In fact, I had no idea what it meant and had to look it up. Today that word is used a lot-sometimes referring to one who has it; sometimes referring to someone who doesn’t.

The word?

INTEGRITY

It has been defined several ways. The most common are:

  • Who you are when no one’s looking
  • Another word for honesty

No matter how you define it, it says the same thing. Be truthful. Be honest. Be the same in all situations.

I once read a short illustration of a young man who was interviewing for a financial position in a well-established and successful company. His interview went well. The CEO and CFO were impressed with his credentials and ability. They took a break for lunch and went to the company’s lunchroom. As they made their way through the line, the CEO saw the young man take a couple pads of butter and put them under his napkin, effectively hiding it from the cashier. He wasn’t hired.

Some might say, “That was awful petty of that CEO. It was only a couple pads of butter for crying out loud.”  But there is a biblical principle at work here that applies to life: “Faithful in little; faithful in much.” You see, if we cannot be trusted with the smallest of things/jobs/acts, we cannot be trusted with the biggest of things/jobs/acts.

Psalm 78:72 says, “With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand.” (ESV)  Some translations use the word integrity for the word upright: “He shepherded them with integrity of heart.” Long before David became king, he was a shepherd. He cut his teeth being responsible for not-too-bright animals.

Integrity is a must-whether we are a president of a company, a pastor, a nurse, a mechanic, a student, et al. Living a life of integrity leaves no regrets.

I read this recently: Nothing weakens the truth more than stretching it. Well said.