Integrity: February 2, 2010

February 2. TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 2, 2010

INTEGRITY

DEFINITION:

Fidelity to moral principles, honesty, soundness and completeness.

SCRIPTURE:

“But as for me, I will walk in my integrity.” Psalm 26:11.

“As for me, You uphold me in my integrity.” Psalm 41: 12.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

It has been said that the word “integrity” is best described by what we do when no one is watching. Integrity is being who we say we are. When a person is described by being called a person of integrity, this is probably the highest praise one can be given. The verse in Proverbs 11:3 says that “The integrity of the upright will guide them.” Great and true leaders must have personal integrity to be successful leaders. Take a moment to think how many people you can name that you would call a person of integrity and would be comfortable calling a friend?

When Satan attacked Job, the Lord referred to the integrity of Job in words that we need to use as standards in developing integrity in our lives. The Lord said to Satan: “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on this earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you excited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”Job 2:3. Later Job 31:6. Job defends his integrity to his friends, saying “Let me be weighed on honest scales, that God may know his integrity.”

Job was a man of true integrity. He was severely tested and tormented by Satan but never turned away from God. Job did not allow painful circumstances to change who he was. He kept his integrity and remained upright and faithful to God.

Look at the standards outlined in these verses. We need to be blameless, upright, one who fears God, one who shuns evil and when Satan tempts you make sure you do not allow him to tempt you into disobedience. We build our integrity by setting standards like these in our lives.

President Lincoln, we are told when we read history, once was given a request for 5000 additional recruits to fight in the civil war. His political advisors strongly recommended that he turn down the request because it would affect his reelection. But Lincoln’s decision was firm and he stated, “ It is not necessary for me to be reelected but it is necessary for our soldiers on the front line to be reinforced.” He went on to say, “If I go down under this act, I will go down with my colors flying high and with integrity.”

In later years Henry Cabot Lodge said on February 12, 1909 “That nation has not lived in vain which has given the world Washington and Lincoln, the best great men and the greatest good men with integrity whom history can show.”

Unfortunately, we do not see integrity in our leaders any more. In reality Jesus was the only one to live on this earth with complete integrity and uprighteousness.

We have constantly told our children by our words and by our actions that integrity is a must in our lives. Our trustworthiness is built on our honesty and integrity. Think how difficult it is to rebuild one’s integrity. Once it is lost it is almost impossible to regain. It just takes one “goof” and one’s integrity is shot. Everyone will face times when they will be tempted to compromise their values and if they do they will lose their integrity. That is why it is so important to read the Bible every day and let God communicate with you and pray so you can communicate with God

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Philippians 1:6.

“Being confident of this very thing that He which has begun a good work in you shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

PRAYER:

Help me to learn to confess my sins and shortcomings daily to You, asking forgiveness so that I can become a person of true integrity. Help me to love God as Job did and to do what is right and shun evil.