What would life be like if nothing was stable; if everything was in a constant state of change, flux or inconsistency? If at one moment our footing was solid and then at another moment it was giving away. Life would be difficult if we had no way of knowing that gravity would be in effect in the next moment or not. The point is that we need consistency. We need certain things to be solid and unchanging. We need to be able to count on something. By simply knowing that the sun will rise tomorrow I can have hope for a new day. By understanding that my parents and my friends love me, I can have confidence in who I am.
If we can understand what it is to be consistent, then we can begin to find and give that understanding to others. The dictionary defines integrity in three ways: the quality of being honest and morally upright, the quality of being whole or undivided and an unimpaired condition. Integrity is what is at the core of everything that is solid and unchanging in life. Some synonyms of integrity include honesty, incorruptibility, soundness, completeness and continuity.
The book of Proverbs gives some examples of the benefits of having integrity in one’s morals, “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out” (10:9); and “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” (11:3) I have heard it said that, “Having integrity is like having a shield that will protect you from slander.” In other words, if I am truthful and consistent about everything to everyone then I am hiding nothing and I am protected by truthfulness. Most of the book of Proverbs is written in this good way, bad way style, it’s consistent. One could say that the book of Proverbs has integrity.
Integrity can be understood by the things that it isn’t. For example integrity isn’t deceptive, therefore, integrity is honest all the time. Integrity isn’t hypocritical, therefore, integrity is always constantly constant. Integrity isn’t corrupt, therefore, integrity will never succumb to selfishness or pride.
I once wrote a short story in which the characters were all traits in a person. I called the character that embodied integrity: Tegra the Rock. The setting was a fantastical world of knights and dragons, and Tegra was the king’s champion. Tegra was a monster of a man; standing like a giant over all other men. His muscles, like his mind, were carved from constant devotion to protecting his king. Never was he off in his judgment, never did he allow his own ambitions to blind his actions. When the castle was at war with another kingdom, Tegra would lead the army to victory with his unwavering morals and bravery. When the king fought in a battle himself, he would never need to worry about an attack from behind because he knew that Tegra was there guarding his back.
I have been told that the ultimate test of integrity is what I do when no one else is looking. When I’m alone and no one will ever know what I’m doing, do I stick to my moral code or do I become someone else? Do I act the same way around my pastor as I act around my coworkers? Integrity can be applied to every part of my life. In relationships a person with integrity will be forgiving and loving to every one, no matter the situation. In business a person with integrity will be honest in his dealings and carry through with the promises he makes. In day to day life a person with integrity will be the same person morally everyday regardless of the weather or the amount of sleep he has.
At times having integrity isn’t easy. If my moral code is against gambling and my friends all want to go out gambling then I must remain unwavering in my beliefs and “go against the flow.” Having integrity means that I won’t remain silent when the truth is stifled. Having integrity could hurt some people but integrity communicates clearly and gives the hearer dignity and closure on a subject. Integrity is most often accompanied with other traits such as love, boldness, forgiveness and patience.
Integrity seems foolish to some people because some say that we are an ever changing species or, in other words, to stay the same is to fall behind in the evolutionary race. That’s one perspective, and I would agree that a person who is willing to occasionally compromise his morals will most likely do better in this world, by this worlds standards. However, it is a matter of perspective. Emanuel Kant, an 18th century philosopher, reasoned that human kind was indeed, created and that our creator must be a being who always was and always will be unchanging, a God having ultimate integrity. If this is true, and if what the book of Genesis says, “Man was created in His image,” is true, then humans likewise were originally created to be unchanging, consistent, having the very same continuity that our maker has.
Integrity has been modeled by many people. Kings, priests, presidents, fathers, mothers, and role models of all kinds have been examples of integrity to many people, but no example of integrity can ever be truer than the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed to be both the son of the God, who created the world and God himself. The book of John says that Jesus came to earth to re-establish the relationship that humanity had lost with God. Elsewhere the Bible says that He lived in our world but never sinned, He was never dishonest, never two faced and never changing. In the book of Matthew, chapter four, we are told that Jesus went out into the wilderness to be alone and was tempted by Satan. Jesus had fasted for a long time and Satan told Him to make bread out of rocks and eat it, but Jesus refused Satan by saying, “It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Jesus had integrity even when dealing with Satan. More books have been written about Jesus than about any other man, ever. Jesus was the bench mark for integrity yet, as the Bible records, He was killed for proclaiming the truth of who He was, an act that reveals his integrity. Jesus remained the embodiment of integrity even through suffering. Whether Jesus was alone, in front of city officials or being mocked by His own people, He remained consistent in every way. I hope that I can hone integrity the way that Jesus did.
Our footing can never be sure on unsteady ground, our lives cannot have rhythm in a fickle atmosphere and human kind can never have peace in a deceitful, hypocritical, corrupt world. The only way that man kind can find harmony is by living with the integrity that we are called to. The integrity of our maker is the key. So long as there is unfaithfulness and untrustworthiness, there will always be pain. True integrity has been modeled for us perfectly. It is time for each of us to begin to live with integrity so that we can provide sure footing for those around us. It is time to change the world by being unchanging.
