Maintaining Integrity

Kutless sings, "I've seen dreams that move the mountains, hope that doesn't ever end, even when the sky is falling. I've seen miracles just happen, silent prayers get answered, broken hearts become brand new. That's what faith can do!" ("What Faith Can Do") Faith in God is the most important thing for a person to have. It creates a relationship with the Lord, when we accept His gift of salvation! And with His help, "It doesn't matter what you've heard; impossible is not a word. It's just a reason for someone not to try." "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37, NIV)

Proverbs 11:1 says, "The Lord abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are His delight." (NIV) That comes down to one word: Integrity.

It is important for leaders to have and maintain integrity. Maxwell says that, "Integrity is not what we do, so much as who we are. And who we are, in turn, determines what we do." It starts on the inside. Furthermore, according to V. Gilbert Beers, "A person of integrity is one who has established a system of values against which all life is judged." That points to faith. And for me, and I hope for you, that is faith in the One True God, the Creator of heaven and earth.

I am going to use an example from IT (more specifically, information security). In that field, integrity is defined as, "security actions that ensure that the information is correct and no unauthorized person or malicious software have altered the data." (Ciampa, Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals)

Now, let's take that definition and apply it to leadership. As a leader, I should exhibit moral (correct) behavior and remain firm in my beliefs (not allowing others to sway me in the wrong direction), in order to keep my path, if the correct one, from being maliciously altered. That's integrity.

That's not to say that I am perfect. I will inevitably mess up. That comes with human nature. However, I should get right back to the correct path, being guided by the Holy Spirit. With the Lord's help, I can maintain my integrity.

Maxwell says that, "People with integrity are 'whole' people; they can be identified by their single-mindedness."

Maxwell asks, "Would you consider yourself a 'whole' person?"

All-in-all, I would consider myself to be a 'whole' person, guided by the Lord.

What about you?

Pray this prayer: Father God, please help me to maintain integrity. Forgive me when I sin, lift me up when I fall, and help me along the path of righteousness. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen!

That prayer referenced Psalm 23:3b, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." (NIV)

God bless you!