What is integrity? You may not have noticed, but "integrity" carries a distinct resemblance to "integer." That's because they share a common root. Integrity comes from the Old French integrité which comes from Latin integritatem. It refers to "wholeness" or "completeness." Integer -- a whole number -- is the noun form of the Latin integritatem, and, voilà , you have a whole number. Integrity, then, refers to being "one," to being "whole." It is the state of being at one with your moral principles. Of course, that assumes that your moral principles are upright (because a thief who believes that stealing is good would be a man of integrity, otherwise). So, Scripture says, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity" (Prov 11:3). God commended Job for holding fast his integrity after Satan took everything from him (Job 2:3). Solomon wrote, "He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out" (Prov 10:9) It is a good thing to live a life in sync with godly principles.
So ... why does it seem so rare? Almost everyone would admit that integrity is a quality, a good thing we should all have. And almost everyone would admit that they do not live as one with their values ... even among believers. Christians will admit that biblical principles of marriage, for instance, are a good way to operate a marriage, but Christians are often not good examples of "Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord" or "Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the Church." We all made vows at our weddings -- to love till death do us part -- but how many of us have folded on that? We can all see that Scripture says to submit to earthly authorities (Rom 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13-15), but how many of us make a practice of cheating on our taxes or unnecessary speeding? Here, let's do an easy one? Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Are you a person who is remarkable as a one who openly loves other believers?
None of us are perfect. We get that. None of us have "arrived." Not even Paul (Php 3:12). But it ought to be our direction, our destination. We should be recognizing those areas where we fall short of it and work to change it by the power of the Holy Spirit in us. So why is it so many of us give a nod to "Yes, that's what it says" followed by a "but"? "Yes, but it doesn't apply to me." "Yes, but that's too hard." "Yes, but I don't like that." "Yes, that's what it says, but we love each other, so why shouldn't we sleep together?" And we go our merry way thinking we're fine. In that Proverbs 11 text above, the contrast was between "integrity" and "duplicity." Are we content with letting duplicity mark our lives instead of integrity -- the aim to align our lives with the values we hold? Are we satisified being double-minded?
3 comments:
I would concur that integrity has been harder to find in people with each passing generation. It strikes me that Christians would possess integrity most noticeably of all people, since our sinful hearts have been regenerated, and our debased minds are being renewed--replacing double-mindedness and disingenuity with wholeness and righteousness as we grow in the Lord. Full integrity--of body, mind, and spirit--will come that wonderful day when we are glorified in Christ.
As believers we should be striving for integrity, and I believe true believers are. I see the problem as our deference to tolerance within the church that leads us out of integrity. We don't want to question anyone's claim if salvation, so we allow disintegraty to flourish.
As I get older I find that integrity is more and more important to me. One of the reasons I chose the brokerage that I did was because they value integrity so much that it's part of the name.
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