One of the main goals for any Disciple is to live an honest, open life. “For we aim at what is honorable, not only in the Lord’s sight, but also in the sight of all people.” (2 Corinthians 2:8) That means our walk has to match our talk. What we do behind closed doors is an open door for all to see. Walking with integrity in the love of Jesus calls for us to do so in public, as well as in private.
Here are some excerpts from an article from evangelist, Greg Laurie, about the power of integrity.
“I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.” (Psalm 101:2)
What is integrity? It is having character and not being a character (a lot of us would qualify there). One definition suggests that integrity is what you are in the dark. In other words, who are you when you’re all alone and no one is watching? A lot of our character is exemplified by what we do when no one else is watching. What kind of television programs and movies do you watch? What websites do you spend the most time browsing? What kinds of thoughts do you have that others might be offended by if they knew what you were thinking? Of course, God knows our thoughts and our hearts. The Lord is always watching and is always aware of our actions.
Will Rogers put it like this: “So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip.”
I heard the story of a pastor who boarded a bus one Monday morning. He paid his fare and took his seat, but then he realized that the bus driver had given him a lot of extra change. At the next stop, the pastor went up to the bus driver and said, “Excuse me, sir, but you gave me too much change. I wanted to give it back to you.”
The bus driver said, “Pastor, I didn’t make a mistake. I was at your church yesterday, and I heard you preach on honesty. I wanted to see if you would live it.”
There is power in honesty. There is power in conviction. There is power in integrity, in godliness and in standing up for what we believe. Many times, we do not realize that people are watching us. They are paying attention to what we do. They may not tell us they are watching us, but they want to see if we are the real deal, if we are men and women of integrity.
We are called to live for the glory of God, so whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) For we know that God knows all, sees all and presides over all. God constantly monitors us, watches us and keeps track of us. We should be excited to know that God is constantly there for us. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)
Be confident , be assured, be certain that God is always with you, even to the end of time. (Matthew 28:20)
Pastor Mark