Integrity

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:4-6

My four year old son has learned how to lie. Now, being four he is not a very good liar. Many times when we ask him if he has washed his hands after being in the bathroom he will tell us that he did, but we can feel his hands and tell that he did not do what he should have done. My wife and I have determined the patterns for when he is lying and when he is telling the truth. Now, while this is not a very big lie we are still adamant that he not get away with lying to us. I try not to be too hard on him since he is only four, but I am still trying to get him to understand the importance of always telling the truth.

As believers we are to be people of integrity. We are to be genuine and not deceitful. When we say we are going to do something, we need to do it. There is nothing more hurtful or damaging than when someone lies to you and you find out that they were being deceitful. Even a little lie can destroy a relationship and it will take a lot of effort and time to heal from the hurt done by a lie. This is why James tell us to let our yes be yes and our no be no. We need to have the integrity of Christ. Christ always did what the Father told him to do. All the promises that Christ gave to us through the Gospels will be fulfilled, just as all the promises God gave throughout the Old Testament will be fulfilled. You can trust God. People should also be able to trust us.

Back to my son. If he continues to lie, and get caught in those lies, his integrity will suffer greatly and we will no longer be able to trust him. Because we cannot trust him we will not be able to rely on him and give him more responsibility. God, being our Father, will do the same to us. If we are not people of integrity, then God will not trust us with greater and more amazing responsibility. In fact, our lives will become very tragic if we are not people of integrity.

Father you are a God of integrity. Your promises are never empty and your faithfulness always sure. This is my wish for me, Lord, that my integrity will shine before man. Not for my glory, but for yours. Help my yes’ to be yes and my no’s to be no. Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting  – Amen