Taking the First Step to Integrity

Taking the First Step to Integrity

Job 8:5-7

“If you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much” (The Message).

If I am to become serious about becoming a person of integrity, the first step is for me to admit that I haven’t had integrity. I need to admit that I haven’t always keep my promises. I may gossip, or slack off at work. I pretend to be someone I’m not. Just admit it all to God!

In this world a lot of people try to segment their lives and think they can live with integrity when they are harboring sin in one area of life, as long as it doesn’t affect the other areas. Rick Warren calls this the Titanic myth. The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable because it was the first ship to segment and compartmentalize the hull. Theoretically, if the boat took on water in a certain area, you could batten down the hatch, and it wouldn’t sink the whole ship.

However when it comes to my life, a hole in the boat is a hole in the boat, and eventually it’s going to sink me. The little area I thought I had under control will eventually take me down. And it will affect the people around me, because while sin may be personal, it is never private.

I also need to realize that no one is perfect, but the good news is that God does not expect me to be! He, does expect me to have integrity. The starting point of integrity is to own up to my sins, no matter how long the list is.

After all God is more interested in my heart and character than my sins. So I may never be perfect or sinless. But I can sin less.

That is the choice of integrity.

Bottom Line:

Seek God, be pure in what you do, live with integrity and he will provide for you.

What this means to me:

If I’m pure and live with integrity and seek the favor of God, he'll raise me up, restore and provide for me.

In summary, To become a person of integrity I need to first admit that I haven't had integrity. I haven't always keep my promises or done right. I've even pretended to be someone I'm not. It will be difficult for me to live with integrity if I'm harboring sin in one area of my life, for it will eventually affect the other areas. I'm not perfect, but the good news is that God is not expecting me to be. He does want me to have integrity. the starting point to having integrity is to own up to my sins. God is always more interested in my heart and my character than in my sins or my comfort.

Father I thank you this morning for loving and caring for me. You only want the best for me, and as such you bring me into things that will build my character. This morning Father I pray for you guidance in handling the work list in front of me. Help me to lead others and communicate rightly with others. I pray for the Holy Spirit to intervene and remind me when I get off the course of living with integrity. I truly want to be a person of integrity and not just reputation. I want to fulfill the mission you have for me, which is to make a difference in the lives of others around me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!