Day 7: Proverbs 10:9

“The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out”.



You know, growing up, I heard about integrity all the time. It was like Dad’s favorite word. I would hear “you’re nothing without integrity”, or “your integrity is all you have in this world”, or something real similar like two or three times a day. To be completely honest, I kept asking myself “what is integrity, and why does my dad think it’s so important”? Of course, like so many times my father was talking, he would tell me what integrity was, but I wasn’t listening. Not until now.


So, what is integrity? Integrity can be summed up this way: “doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching”. I can’t claim any credit for that, it was my dad’s definition. He would say it over and over, and only recently did it make any sense.


The bible has quite a bit to say about how we are supposed to live, and we should really pay attention. My dad’s definition of integrity was a good one, but it left out one thing: God always sees. We’d better be doing the right thing all the time. If we don’t, and other people see us, then we lose our leadership ability and any opportunity we might have to talk to them about Jesus.


This verse is very straightforward: even if people don’t see us doing the wrong thing, we will be found out. God knows, so our fellowship with Him is diminished. And let’s not forget, that everything we do has consequences in this life, and sooner or later if we screw up, it tends to bubble up so everyone can see it(usually at a very bad time). When we do the right thing all the time (don’t get me wrong, we all screw up, but let’s not use that as an excuse, huh?) then we can live securely. We don’t have to worry about when our darkest secrets will be revealed, because we won’t have any if we live a life of integrity.


You want to see a good example of someone’s screw up being found out? Just ask all these yahoos who have been stealing from their companies, or cooking the books so their stock prices stay afloat. Everything was fine until the business collapsed and then it came out: they were thieves. Will anyone ever follow them again? I don’t think so. Learn from it.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to live every moment knowing that God is right here with us, and sees everything we do. We also need to know that when we screw up, no matter how good we are at hiding it, everyone always finds out.


Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew Chapters 5-7.


Prayer: Father, you have given me leadership ability. You have given me spiritual gifts unique to me. Please, Lord, help me to do the right thing so that people will listen when I talk, and follow when I lead. Help me to confess when I screw up, so my sin doesn’t become a roadblock to serving You. I thank you father, that You are capable of all things, and will guide me in the paths that I should walk. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.