Integrity
Have you ever been driving and had a fear that the road you are driving on would fall out underneath you? Kind of like those sink holes that you see on Facebook that crater underneath a car. This is not usually a thought that crosses my mind, but the other day I was up on the Shiloh Interchange waiting at a red light at the very top. This massive tanker trucker went rolling across the interchange, and as it did the whole interchange began to shake. Not gonna lie, I kinda began to question the integrity of the structure. Fortunately nothing happened and everyone was able to continue about their day.
The reason why we rarely question the integrity of the roads or structures that we drive on every day is because there are engineering standards and principles that ensure that the structure can withstand the circumstances around it. Integrity is a part of our everyday life without us even realizing it and that is not just in the natural world. Integrity has far greater implications in our spiritual lives, and can't be left ignored. Let's look at three things about integrity from Proverbs.
The integrity of the upright guides them,but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:3
Integrity is honest - What you see is what you get. In this passage integrity is contrasted with duplicity, which means among other things being two-faced. Have you ever dealt with a car salesman who tells you all these great features about a car and then once you have bought it you find out it had a severe issue that he neglected to mention? I had a guy sell me a car that he raved about and then I came to find out later that the engine block was warped. I had to replace the entire engine. There is a reason that integrity stands out so much in that industry, it is often hard to find. Honesty is a hallmark of integrity, it is being true to your word; doing what you say. Integrity is living your life based on a set of values established by the Word of God.
Integrity produces stability - Integrity is the strength to not bend when circumstances change. It is the strength under pressure, especially when the easy way out is to cut corners. Integrity is stable because it is founded in the Word of God. It is what Jesus was talking about when he described the house built on the rock. The word upright here speaks to something being level, true, straight. Having a level foundation when building is what produces the stability of a structure, I recently found this out when I was installing shelves in my garage and I discovered my children had been playing with my level and jarred the bubble piece so that it was no longer level. Needless to say my shelves would have been crooked if I had not caught it.
Integrity leads - integrity guides the upright. I think of train tracks when I think about this. Integrity is like the tracks of a train directing the person in the will of God. Integrity will lead us when we go through dark situations where things are unclear what to do. However integrity doesn't just lead us on our path, but it will lead others through us. Integrity pioneers a path for others to follow, because it is something they can rely on. When all the other paths lead to destruction the path of the upright will lead to success.