Walking with Integrity

Readings for today: Psalms 15, 23-25, 47

Recently, a friend of mine went through a job change. He was notified he would be let go because his company was “going in a different direction.” The news came out of the blue. All of his performance reviews had been exceptional. He hit every mark the company ever set for him and often exceeded them. None of that seemed to matter. The boss just wanted to make a change. As you can imagine, he went through a range of emotions. There was the initial shock when he first got the news. Shock gave way to anger as he wrestled with the injustice of it all. Anger turned to frustration as he processed the years he had given to this company. Frustration became hurt as he realized how deeply this decision wounded him. In the midst of his hurt, he felt fear and anxiety rise up as he pondered what he would do next. Starting a job search at his age and station in life was no easy task. Would he be able to replace his income? Would he be able to provide for his family? He was pretty close to retirement so how many years did he really have left? I imagine many of us have gone through these experiences ourselves or walked through them with those we love. It’s not easy.

The temptation, of course, is to retaliate. To get back at those who’ve hurt us. To justify our anger and frustration and lash out. We might work to undermine. We might spread rumors or gossip about those in positions above us. We might seek to recruit others to our cause and create all kinds of conflict in the office on our way out. Sow seeds of discontent. Exploit opportunities to create dissension. Those kinds of things. Some might even take things to an extreme and try to take the company or the person responsible down with them. It can get ugly.

“What would God have me do?” This is the question my friend asked me. I took him to some of the Psalms we read today. I pointed him beyond his circumstances and challenged him to think about the bigger picture. Do you want the blessing of God on your life? Do you want the favor of God to go before you? Do you want to walk before God with a clean conscience and a pure heart? Then walk as blamelessly as possible. Do what is right. Don’t give in to the temptation to slander or return evil for evil. Remain humble. Stay focused on Jesus. Trust God is sovereign over all things - including injustice - and nothing can stand in the way of His will for your life.

The ultimate test of faith is what happens when we come face to face with a circumstance that is unjust or unfair. In those moments, we are faced with a choice to either “walk our talk” or go our own way. If we can keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. If we can keep our minds set on eternal rewards. If our treasures are truly in heaven, we will find ourselves looking to please God rather than man and this is the essence of godly integrity.

Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 89, 96, 100, 101, 107

Integrity

Readings for today: Job 1-5

Job was a man of complete integrity. I have long pondered what this might mean. Does it mean Job is perfect? Free from sin? Clearly not. The Bible declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and this would include a man like Job. Does it mean Job never makes mistakes? Never gets things wrong? Never loses heart? Again, clearly not. The rest of the book show Job at his most honest and raw and real. He grieves. He laments. He argues. He fights back. He questions God. So what does it mean that Job was a man of complete integrity? A man who feared God and turned away from evil? A man who retains his integrity even in the middle of incredible tragedy? A man who accepts both good and adversity from God? A man who understands God gives and takes away?

The Hebrew word that is translated “complete integrity” or “blameless and upright” depending on which version you are reading, literally means to walk a straight path. It means there is no swerving to the left or the right. No crookedness along the way. It is the Bible’s way of picturing a person of honesty. A person who lives transparently before the Lord and before others. A person who has nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to fear but God. Such a person sets their mind and heart on God. They seek to honor God in all their ways. They seek to obey God in everything they do. They bring God into the equation in all their decision-making. They trust God with the outcomes of life. They do not expect anything from God. They do not demand anything from God. They walk in humility before Him. They believe God is more than enough.

Decades ago, I was in a Bible study on the Book of Job and the teacher challenged us with some hard questions. If you never received anything from God, would He still be worthy of your worship? If you never received a single blessing from God, would He still be worthy of your devotion? Do you love God simply because He’s God or do you love God for the blessings He brings to your life? How would you answer? I know I had to sit with them a while myself. I wasn’t at a stage where I was ready to accept what Job had to teach me. I was still very young in my faith. But as I’ve grown over the years and experienced a whole lot of life along the way, I have learned to embrace the truth of what Job teaches us. God is enough. God is more than enough. He is worthy of my worship and devotion simply because He is God. He does not owe me. I have no right to expect anything from Him. Everything I receive from Him is a gift. It is grace. It is undeserved and unexpected and unearned. It is mine to steward not to own. He gives and takes away according to His perfect will for me. In all things and in every season, I bless the name of the Lord.

Readings for tomorrow: Job 6-9

Integrity of the Godly Life

Readings for today: Proverbs 9-12

“Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.” (Prov. ‭12:25‬ MSG)‬‬‬

I know so many who struggle with crippling anxiety. They are young. They are old. They are men. They are women. They come from all different backgrounds. No one is immune. Many studies have been done attempting to pinpoint the source but the reality is there are a multiplicity of factors involved. Isolation. Despite tools like social media, people feel more disconnected than ever. Fewer and fewer report having a good friend. Someone they can call at 2AM if they have a need. This feeling of isolation leads to busyness as people fill up their schedules with all kinds of activities, longing to connect. But the opposite happens. The busier we become, the harder it is for us to connect and the more isolated we feel. Add to this all the stress we carry from our jobs, families, health, finances, etc. It’s actually not hard to see why we are so anxious.

Anxiety in a person’s heart does indeed weight them down. Saps them of their strength. Wears them out. Impacts their physical health. Their mental acuity. Their emotional stability. It hits every system in the body until we are debilitated. Unable to function on some level. So what’s the answer? Walking in integrity. “Honesty lives confident and carefree, but Shifty is sure to be exposed.” (Prov. ‭10:9‬ MSG) Now, at first blush, that may seem strange. Doesn’t integrity have to do with honesty? Are you suggesting if we just tell the truth, we’ll all be okay? Certainly that’s part of it. But integrity has a deeper meaning as well. Just as buildings have a “structural integrity” so do human beings. Strong lives are built on strong foundations. They are built on strong, godly habits that keep us secure. When we walk in integrity with the Lord, He becomes our stronghold. Our refuge. Our fortress. And we are able to put aside all anxious thoughts. When we make Christ the foundation of our life. When we build our daily lives around godly rhythms. Christ promises we will experience a peace that passes all understanding. ‬‬‬

So what are those godly rhythms? What does it mean to live with integrity before the Lord? It starts with humility. Humble submission to Christ. Surrendering to His Lordship over our lives. On this foundation, we layer daily prayer and reflection in the Scriptures. We layer in weekly worship with our church family. We layer in regular intentional time with a few Christian friends. It could be a mentor. A Bible study. A small group. And finally, we look for a place to serve our Lord. To give ourselves away for the sake of His Kingdom. These four spiritual practices become the four walls of a spiritual house that is strong and firm and secure because it is built in the Lord.

Readings for tomorrow: Proverbs 13-16