Integrity
This video makes me chuckle. Why? Because these guys aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. They get busted telling their boss they’re at work, when they’re really out playing golf. And when they get caught, they do a pretty terrible job trying to cover up their mistake. It’s a funny commercial, but it makes a great point. A lack of integrity is a pretty sad thing.
As Christians we can have a lack of integrity at times too. I want to focus on two main ways we can show a lack of integrity. The first way is when we say one thing, but do a different thing. For example, we talk a good game about showing the love of Jesus to others, but we don’t ever take an interest in people that get left out. That shows that there is a GAP between what we say and what we do… or a lack of integrity. The second way we can show a lack of integrity is when we aren’t consistent with who we are… we’re one person at church, another at school, another at the mall, and another when we’re on vacation.
In Ephesians 4, Paul talks about “putting on the new self” who has been made new in Jesus. In Ephesians 4:25, he tells us that we “must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to our neighbor.” One way that we can put off falsehood and speak truthfully is by making sure that our actions line up with our words. A second way to put off falsehood and speak truthfully is to be the same Christ follower in all situations!
As we ponder what it means to have integrity, I think it’s helpful for us to examine some different areas of our lives. What does it mean to you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in how you watch movies… choose your music… treat your siblings… text… speak truthfully… spend time on the internet… treat the opposite sex… show love to the lonely… help the poor… ??? How is your integrity in these areas? Do your actions line up with your words?
Take a few minutes and ask the Lord to examine your heart and to help you walk in integrity. If He shows you some areas where there is a lack of integrity, just repent by asking for forgiveness and committing to walk in God’s ways with the help of the Holy Spirit!
Points to Ponder:
What do you think are the biggest areas where Christians have “gaps” between what they say and what they do? How could we begin to walk with more integrity as Jesus’ disciples in these areas? Is there an area of integrity where God has convicted you and changed your heart? What is it and what changed? Hit me back with your thoughts!!!
In His Love,
Nate Horne – Youth Director
September 29th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I like this devotion. It really makes a point. I definitely need to have some more integrity in my life. Especially when it comes to how I treat my sister. I need to treat her with more love and respect. I probably should have better integrity when it comes to the music I put in my head. i don’t listen to really bad music, it’s just probably not uplifting and what God would like.
September 29th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
For me I would say the biggest way Christians words don’t line up with their actions is speech itself. Someone who talks about Christ and his love one day, and the next is making fun of other people, or talking about how they hate a teacher so much ect…, is simply not showing Christ’s consistency. And therefore is giving others the wrong impression of Christ.
Anyway thats all I had to say.
September 29th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I think as Christians we are hypocritical in that we judge others because they may not look like one’s personal idea of a “perfect Christian”. The way someone dresses or the music they listen to automatically pushes Christians to say that that individual is wrong, but no one is a perfect Christian and no one has ever been on this Earth except Jesus Christ himself. I’ve seen people rejected from the church because they were homeless or because they dressed differently. We can begin to walk with more integrity by accepting people for who they are and loving everyone because he first loved us.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I think as christians our biggest gap is the way we love. We say as christians we love with our whole heart, but then we turn around and put someone down because we don’t want to right now. We are choosing who we want to love and when we want to love them, and personally thats my biggest problem.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
i definatly agree with what everybody else says.
i also think that a lot of Christians, (and myself) struggle with letting thier hearts be broken for those in need. it’s so easy to just send some money, say one prayer, and forget all about it.
at Wade, i didn’t let my heart be broken for those kids. i wasn’t doing it conciously, but i hardened myself. i really regret that.
i wonder what else God could have done through that trip if i had just completely opened myself up to Him, and the broken.