INTEGRITY

It has been said that Integrity
is what we do when no one is looking.

The measure of a man's real character is
what he would do if he would never be found out?
Thomas Macauley

Let me ask a few personal questions. You don't have to answer to me, however, the day will come when each of us will be held accountable for who we are, and what we do.


Would you want to be YOU as a Parent; Spouse; Friend; Employer; Employee; Sibling; Neighbor; Child; or Business Partner? Have you ever thought about this?

• How would you like to be the one on the other end of your conversation?
• Would you like to be treated like you are treating others?
• Would you like to receive in the measure that you are giving?

In other words, "Are you a person of integrity whom you would choose if you had the opportunity to choose you?"

If so that is wonderful, simply stay the course, and continue to grow in Christ, going from Glory to Glory. However, if you have asked yourself these questions, and are thinking ... "Wow, I really need to change" ... don't lose heart, God is in the transforming business. You can become the person of integrity that YOU, or anyone else would chose. You can become a person of integrity that God will Call Out, and Commend.


John Maxwell said:
Integrity is not a given factor in everyone’s life. It is a result of self-discipline, inner trust, and a decision to be relentlessly honest in all situations in our lives.

Integrity is not measured by what others think or say about you, it is what you, and God know about you.

Many people may appear to be walking in higher places than you, but Jesus looks on the heart, not the positional seat. Every person will have to give an account for themselves no matter their status.

Let me share a few of Bible Stories with you to help understand my view on this.







Mark 12:41-44
41 And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. 43 And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.


In these passages, Jesus was teaching the disciples how to measure their own integrity. He did not commend the rich as they cast in much, but his approval went to the widow women.
She was the one chosen to show forth integrity.


It was not the woman's poverty that Jesus approved, for He is against poverty. He applauded this woman's integrity. This woman was rich and getting richer in the eyes of Jesus. Rich in obedience, rich in unselfishness, rich in trust and rich in character, and about to become rich financial through her generosity.

One might say, "How can you call this woman rich, she only had two mites to put in the offering." Yes, but it was ALL SHE HAD, ALL OF HER LIVING. While the quote "rich cast in much" ... and yet was little in comparison to the entire wages the widow had given.

Jesus commended the faith and integrity of the widow. Integrity that was willing to let go of all trusting God to help others and care for her household.

The positional standing of monetary assets meant little to Jesus. His commendation came from what he knew concerning the heart of the people.


Matthew 26:6-13
6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.
8 But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?
9 For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.
10 When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.
12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.
13 Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.


Here we find Jesus in the house of a leper, with his disciples. Upon sitting down to meat, a woman walks over to Jesus, pulls out an alabaster box of perfume, which cost her about a years worth of wages, and poured the entire lot over Jesus head. When the disciples saw it, they became angry at what they believed to be unreasonable waste. Jesus saw this woman's offering and action completely different, than the disciples. Jesus did not commend the disciples for their indignation, but he commended this woman for her integrity.


What the disciples had seen as unreasonable, as waste that could have been put into the work of the lepers camp. Jesus looked at as a story of love, generosity, and integrity to be praised, remembered and told all over the World.

• Positional status and monetary assets mean little when it comes to integrity.
• 
  Integrity is who you are on the inside, that causes you to be the way you are on the outside.