“But we have renounced the secret things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by expressing the truth and commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 4:2, MEV).
Integrity demands that every area of your life is treated with the same intensity. You have the same commitment to excellence in your marriage as you do in your career.
You have the same commitment to excellence in ministry as you do in your parenting.
Let me give you six ways you can work this week to become a person of integrity. You become a person of integrity by:
1. Keeping your promises. People of integrity keep their word. If they say they’ll do it, they do it. If they say they’ll be there, they show up. The Bible says in Proverbs 25:14, “Whoever boasts himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain. (MEV).
2. Paying your bills. You may not think this is a big deal, but it’s a big deal to God. Do you spend more money than you make? That is a lack of integrity. Do you get yourself in debt for things that you can’t pay off? That is a lack of integrity. Psalm 37:21 says, “The wicked borrows and does not repay” (MEV).
3. Refusing to gossip. God is looking for men and women of integrity who know how to keep a secret and not pass it around on social media. Don’t talk about people behind their back. Don’t even listen to gossip! “A talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter” (Prov. 11:13, MEV).
4. Faithfully tithing. Wherever you put your money first is what’s most important to you. Malachi 3:8-10 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, your whole nation, for you are robbing Me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this, says the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing, that there will not be room enough to receive it“ (MEV).
5. By doing your best at work. The Bible says in Colossians 3:23, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (MEV). If you’re a believer, your real boss is God, and whether or not anybody else sees your work, God does.
6. By being real with others. A person of integrity doesn’t act one way in church and another way at work and another way on the golf course. “But we have renounced the secret things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by expressing the truth and commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Cor. 4:2, MEV).
Talk It Over
- How do you keep from listening to gossip?
- What promises have you not kept that you need to follow through on for the sake of your integrity?
- How would you change the way you act and perform at work if God was sitting in your boss’ office and checking up on your work? {eoa}
Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Rick is author of the New York Times best-seller The Purpose Driven Life. His book, The Purpose Driven Church, was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. He is also founder of Pastors.com, a global Internet community for pastors.
For the original article, visit rickwarren.org.
