"He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known" (Proverbs 10:9).
The NIV version of Proverbs 10:9 says, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out." The dictionary defines integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.
Integrity is making our daily actions line up with what we know is right, whether someone is watching us or not. When we walk with integrity, we have God's protection. We don't have to look over our shoulders all of the time, to be sure we're not caught doing something wrong.
Looks Like ...
The Daily Herald in Chicago ran this story on February 20, 1996. A newlywed couple had left a black zippered case on the roof of their car as they sped away from the reception to begin their honeymoon. The case had all their wedding gift money in it - $12,000. By the time they reached their destination it was gone.
Two days later the same newspaper carried the following headline: “Finders Keepers? Not All Believe It!” David Yi, an unemployed suburban resident, had come upon a black bag with $12,000 in cash. In spite of his mounting bills and jobless state, he didn’t keep the money. Tracking the couple down, he returned the full amount. When asked why he returned all the money, he said, “I guess it didn’t matter whether it was $50 or $1,000 or $1 million - it didn't belong to me.”
When offered jobs because of the exposure he received, Yi said he would only consider jobs for which he was actually qualified. He felt accepting a managerial position for which he was unequipped would be dishonest.
Believers are often accused of being hypocrites, because they don't walk their talk, i.e., they aren't walking in integrity. We must all examine ourselves, to be sure we don't cause anyone to stumble because our actions don't match our profession of faith. (Romans 14:13; 1 Corinthians 8:13; 1 Corinthians 10:32).
Ask Yourself ...
Would the above scenario be a temptation for you? In what type of situation would you be most tempted to compromise your integrity?
