INTEGRITY

“God hates cheating in the marketplace; He loves when business is aboveboard.”  Proverbs 11:1

Years ago I read  an interesting thing about the Reverend Billy Graham. It was reported that he read one chapter of Proverbs every day. And he read 5 chapters of Psalms. So, each month he refreshed his memory of both books of the Bible. I like that and for years and years I read a chapter-a-day of the book of Proverbs.

It is full of wisdom and provides a wonderful guide about how we are to live. When three wonderful grandchildren joined our son’s family at ages 11 and 12 we were thrilled and realized a new responsibility to share important life long disciplines. One of them I remember is to encourage them to read the book of Proverbs. It’s something that I encourage you to do. 

READ THE BOOK OF PROVERBS. Perhaps you might want to think about reading it through in one month, a month that has 31 days; that way you will easily read the whole book in one single month. Just reading chapters one and two might be a stimulant for you to continue reading even the next day to see what gems might be waiting for you to ponder. You will find that most of the first week of your reading deal with wisdom and knowledge. As I took a break just now with a cup of coffee at the fountain outside; I while pondering these things opened my phone and was able to read Proverbs 8:1-12. As I did I was refreshed.

“Wisdom has built her house;
she has carved its seven columns.
She has prepared a great banquet,
mixed the wines, and set the table.
She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come.
She calls out from the heights overlooking the city.
“Come in with me,” she urges the simple.
To those who lack good judgment, she says,

‘Come, eat my food,
 and drink the wine I have mixed. 
Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;
learn to use good judgment.’
Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.
Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. 
So don’t bother correcting mockers;
they will only hate you.
But correct the wise,
and they will love you.
Instruct the wise,
and they will be even wiser.
Teach the righteous,
and they will learn even more. 
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
Wisdom will multiply your days
and add years to your life. 
If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.”

Wisdom and knowledge are foundational; guiding us to live a life with integrity. John C. Maxwell says, “integrity is not what we do, so much as who we are. And who we are, in turn, determines what we do. We are all faced with conflicting desires. No one, no matter how ‘spiritual,’ can avoid this battle. Integrity is the factor that determines which desire will prevail. We struggle daily with situations that demand decisions between what we want to do and what we ought to do. Integrity establishes the ground rules for resolving these tensions. It allows us to predetermine what we will be regardless of circumstances, persons involved, or the places of our testing. It frees us to be whole persons no matter what comes our way.” 

Most of the 1990’s we lived in Ukraine during incredible years of transition from 72 years of Communistic rule to what has become a society of free choice. That is a drastic change. And if you have followed the news these past years it is not an easy transition for them or the other countries of the former USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 

We encouraged governments to open the airwaves for private radio broadcasting and at the same time encouraged Christians to apply for and obtain licenses to provide the opportunity to share their faith in this new paradigm. We stressed their message should include a foundation of honesty, integrity, morals and ethics. These Biblical themes were foundational to us, yet new thinking to them.

Author V. Gilbert Beers has authored 125 books for children alone. It is significant that he says of integrity, “A person of integrity is one who has established a system of values against which all of life is judged.” 

Consider the values you use for how you live day by day. Be or become a person of integrity. As Mr. Beers says, “all of life is judged” by this.

“Look me in the eyes! Do you think I’d lie to your face? Think it over—no double-talk! Think carefully—my integrity is on the line! Can you detect anything false in what I say? Don’t you trust me to discern good from evil?”  Job 6:28-30 The Message

“This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”  Genesis 6:9-10 The Message