Think Victory! INTEGRITY

INTEGRITY

Today's devotional was written by Pastor Mike Woods, Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America's KESWICK.

"Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Matthew 5:37 NIV.

I can't think of a more fitting verse to address the area of integrity - the next leadership quality. You can't fake this one. You are either a man of integrity, or you're not! It is a character quality that best describes who you are when no one but God is looking. Some would settle for "when no one is looking," but we must remember that God sees every aspect of our lives - even the areas that we prefer He not see. The world, our sinful nature and the devil seek to compromise our integrity regularly in order that our testimony of Christ in our lives will seem foolish or empty by the world around us. The one thing that we must develop if we are going to be leaders of our homes, churches, communities is integrity. Integrity breeds trustworthiness. Knowing that you are trusted by others is a tremendous responsibility. If you have ever betrayed a trust, you know that it is a precious thing, not to be taken lightly.

I had an integrity test just the other day. It was a lean week for me.
There was more month at the end of the money. I went to my mailbox and saw a card that had "Michael Wood" as the addressee (those who know me know my name ends with "s." the address to Michael Wood was blackened out and my address was written in its place. When I opened the card. I found a check for $100.00 pay to the order of (you guessed it) Michael Wood. After I spent a moment praising the Lord for His provision, I read the contents of the card. Here's what it said:

"Dear Michael, Here is the replacement check. Your birthday bash was great! Love Grandma."

Here's where my integrity was tested - It wasn't my birthday and I don't have a grandma! I contacted the woman who sent the card and graciously returned the check to her. Had I compromised my integrity, Yeah, I would've been $100.00 richer, but my testimony would have been bought for $100.00 and ruined before that woman or her grandson.

Psalm 15 looks at a man of integrity as a man who "keeps his oath even when it hurts, and does not change." (verse 4). The promise for this psalm is that "whoever does these things will never be shaken." We need to see that our personal integrity is a precious commodity that can't be bought or bribed. If it can, then we're serving the wrong master (cf.
Matt. 6:24).

Good word for today, Pastor Mike. How about you? Is it time for an integrity check?

Great Quote: This is the purpose of pain for the redeemed: it is one of your Father's ways of speaking to you; it is the evidence of His limitless love, by which He would draw you farther from evil and closer to Him, the divine remedy which can cure you of pride and help you lean more trustingly on the Lord. Walter A. Maier