THE LAW OF INTEGRITY
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:3
Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong, consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral principles; the state of being whole and undivided. Whatever the achievements of a man in life, if he lacks integrity, then it is of no worth. A man’s integrity is his greatest asset. Without it, he has nothing. According to the Scriptures, integrity is a safeguard to those who have it. A man of integrity is a man of noble character and of an excellent spirit.
What do you do when no one is watching? How do you manage resources when you have only yourself to be accountable to? Integrity dictates that you take account of everything. Every resources that is at your disposal should be properly accounted for even when it seems no one is asking. Integrity starts with the ability to account for intangible resources such as time and your word.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the supreme model of integrity as his life exemplified excellent character so much that those who were against him spoke well of him: “Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God” (Mark 12:14). Even at the end of his life here on earth, Pilate at his trial, said of him, “I find no grounds for charging this man” (Luke 23:4). There was no basis for guilt, no evidence of fault, found in Jesus. In other words, his behaviour matched his belief, he walked his talk, his character was his confession.
You cannot claim to be a Christian if you do not live in integrity. Your word should be your bond. You should not say a thing and people should be looking out to confirm whether it is true or not. When you give appointment, you should be there on time. You should be a man of impeccable character. Your words and actions should match. Be trustworthy in all your endeavours at home, at work and in church. Your Christianity would not be worthwhile if it is only within the four walls of the church you attend. Both your family members and colleagues at work should be able to attest to your character. That is how to be a man of integrity. The world is watching us. We cannot afford to fail Jesus. Follow his example.
Matching your words with actions is probably the greatest test of integrity known to man. Words when spoken except recorded is intangible. It has no physical evidence. So if the speaker is not committed to integrity, he won’t see the need to match his word with commensurate actions.
Integrity can be seen on people, and when people see that you have integrity, there is no limit as to what can be committed into your hand that can transform your life. It is lack of Integrity that makes men and women commit sin. When a man is untruthful, it is because he lacks integrity.
MEDITATION: Integrity is a capital that can deliver great capital into your hands.
