Integrity

"All he does is just and good,
and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are forever true,
to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity." Psalm 111:7,8 NLT

I was challenged this morning as I read the above verse. The word "integrity" leaped out at me. We are called to live lives of integrity. Just what does integrity mean anyway?

Integrity is defined as; honesty, without compromise or corruption. Those two words--without compromise--hit me between the eyes like a hammer. What areas of my life have I compromised?

You can be doing a pretty good job living the Christian life. Going along like everything's fine. But if you honestly looked inside yourself, would you find areas of your life that have been compromised? Maybe you've compromised your purity. Maybe your business practices. What about your thoughts or the words coming from your mouth? How are you treating others? How are you using your time and resources? How's your relationship with the Lord?

If the materials or construction practices used on a high rise building are compromised, the integrity of the whole structure is at risk. The building could collapse, burn down or have numerous and costly maintenance issues.

God has created us to live lives that are strong and reflect His glory. We are created in His image. Integrity is part of God's character and He intends it to be part of our character too. If we humble ourselves and ask Him, His Spirit will point out those areas of our lives that we have compromised. Then the choice and responsibility to turn those areas over to Him through repentance is up to us. If we do that, He will lovingly restore our compromised areas of life back to where they should be. And once again, we will bring Him honor.

So, what areas of your life have been compromised? What are you going to do about it?