Integrity

Proverbs 10:9—Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out.

The dictionary defines integrity in two ways: 1. “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”; and 2. “the state of being whole and undivided.”  When I think about a person with integrity, I think about those people who treat others well and put the interests’ of the whole above their own selfish desires.  A person with integrity tells the truth, thoughtfully considers other perspectives, but never wavers from doing the right thing even if that means personal loss. In this proverb, integrity is juxtaposed against the word “perverse.”  In this context, perverse simply refers to those behaviors that are against society. When we act out of selfish desire, we place our individual interests above the interests of others.  We don’t even think to contemplate the consequences of our actions or how we might be hurting someone else. Integrity provides pathways of trust and understanding.  When we deal with people with integrity, it is easier to manage our expectations.  God created us to be in relationship with Him and one another, and in order for relationships to work, people must act with integrity. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for His Integrity.  Pray that He would fill you with integrity that you might have insight and act honestly and morally in all areas of your life.  Give thanks for His Guiding Spirit and invite Him to enter ever more deeply into your heart.