By Kenneth Kuykendall
Much of what is happening in our world economically, politically, socially, and religiously is the absense of one basic and fundamental characteristic: integrity. The continual economic woes, the alarming political corruption, the socialism of our nation, and the unprecedented religious ambiguity is the result of a culture that dismisses the importance of doing right. In a nutshell that is the basic defintion of integrity- doing right.
Webster defines integrity this way: An unimpaired condition: soundness; the quality or state of being complete, sound and unmovable in that condition.
Bob Jones Sr. said, “Do Right! Even if the stars are falling, do right! It is never right to do wrong in order to get a chance to do right.” Spurgeon said, “Lose all that you have except for your integrity, for when all else is gone at least you can still live with yourself.” I like what Will Rogers said about the subject, “Live in such a way that you would not be afraid to sale your parrot to the town gossip.”
Job, a perfect and upright man perhaps said it the best, “God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me” (Job 27:5). Job was willing to take his last breathe as a man who lived by certain standards and principles. I am afraid we are losing such resiliency in our culture. I am afraid that our generation has bought into the notion that truth is relative and we do not have to give an account for our unrighteousness. Someone has rightly said, “Men are looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men.”
The truth is God requires His people to be people of integrity. Someone who strives to be such a person will:
1. Promote Honesty- God has called us to teach truth, speak truth, and live by the truth regardless of the consequences.
2. Practice Holiness- God’s people are to be holy and different. We are salt and light. We are commanded to be holy even as He is holy. The Bible tells us that we cannot see God without holiness. Although holiness is an out-dated subject, it is still a Bible principle!
3. Pursue Humility- holiness and honesty does not equate in religious snobbery or arrogance. Those who walk in integrity will live in humility.
4. Please Him– above and beyond all things, a person of integrity seeks to please God. If we filtered everything in our lives with this question, “Does it Please God?” we would not have to wonder whether or not we were people of integrity- we would be.
God has not called us to be popular, He has called us to be peculiar. May God help us to be people of integrity.
by Kenneth Kuykendall
Article submitted to IndependentBaptist.com