Wealth created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist and a deadly trap. Proverbs 21:6
Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers set up by previous generations. Do you see any truly competent workers? They will serve kings rather than working for ordinary people. Proverbs 22:28-29
The Lord detests the use of dishonest scales, but he delights in accurate weights. Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. Proverbs 11:1-3
Godly people find life; evil people find death. The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity. Proverbs 11:19-20
Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1 (NASB)
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1
Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. Proverbs 16:8
Today we consider aspect # 4 of work: "Value integrity." There are so many things about "work" that the Proverbs above speak to. To comment on all of it would be too much. Please read through the Proverbs and write down things that stand out to you. What is the one thing that resonates the most with you? Finally, identify one change you need to make in your life in regard to the commonsense reminder: "Value integrity."
Someone has said, "integrity has no need of rules." It has also been said, "It's easy to maintain your integrity when no one is offering to buy it." And then there is this quote, "One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised." If there was ever a word that captures the heartbeat of what it means to be a Christian, it is the word integrity. Yes, there are all the wonderful words of our Christian faith like redemption, grace, forgiveness, salvation, etc., but without integrity they are just words. The person who has integrity is a person who is genuine; they are the real deal. The greatest trial for Christianity over the centuries has come from those who claim to be adherents but are not genuine. Integrity in regard to their Christian faith is missing and so they are not the real deal.
The commonsense reminder: "Value Integrity," is being put before us in a rather strong manner. The purpose for this is not to make us feel guilty, but to inspire us to a "higher plane" or "higher road." There are those who have not come to genuine faith in Christ and stand in need of true salvation. Our prayer for them is that they would embrace Christ for all that he is and has done so that they become recipients of eternal redemption and are put squarely on the path of becoming all that they can become through Christ. However, there is great concern today for the rest of us.
We are those who have been redeemed and there are probably very few of us who do not need to be put more squarely on the path of becoming all that we can become through Christ. We need to be inspired to this higher path and the key is integrity and that is our hope and prayer for today.
Lord, forgive me for all the ways my walk has not matched my talk. Lord, in all the nitty-gritty areas of my life like those today's Proverbs put before me, help me to have "integrity" like I've never had before. I want to walk with you 24/7 and I want it to be clearly seen been all the world that I am the real deal. Amen!
