Pursue Integrity

10:9 He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known.

11:3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. (Proverbs 10:9, 11:3, 20:7 NKJV)

According to Wikipedia, integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one’s actions. Integrity can be regarded as the opposite of hypocrisy, in that it regards internal consistency as a virtue, and suggests that parties holding apparently conflicting values should account for the discrepancy or alter their beliefs.  We serve a God of integrity that requires us to be like Him but only through the power of His might and Spirit.

God always establishes a standard of conduct, and it always comes with His commitment of support and enablement.  In our families, especially, but in all relationships and interactions, we, as God’s representatives and people, are to be single-minded and consistently committed to the understandings, and convictions we hold toward God.  In the scriptures above, God promises safety in a walk of integrity and warns the crooked, perverse, and dishonest that they will slip and fall and be destroyed.  Proverbs 20:7 lets us know that the righteous and godly walk in integrity and bless their children who follow them.

I want to encourage the people of God to seek to live lives of integrity starting in their homes.  Let our lives represent Christ so that as our children follow our example, they will be blessed now and throughout eternity.  As we allow God to empower us to live consistent, righteous, ethical, truthful, and trustworthy lives, let us commit to being people who “say what we do and do what we say”.  Our God does what He says and says what He does.  God has set the standard and provided the resources to those willing to accept the assignment of being His representatives in the earth.

Remember what Hebrews 13:5-6 (ESV) says, Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. “So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” God will not ask you to go where He will not go with you. God has essentially promised you will never be alone or without help. Pursue God’s plan for your life with the confidence of God’s promised support.