October 15, 2018

Integrity

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” 

– Mark 8:36

“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” – Leviticus 19:11

He’s nearing the end of his career. Over the years he’s formed friendships that blur the lines of objectivity. It’s easy to slip a little here, a little there. What difference does it make, after all?

He was once a good man. He was a man of integrity. At least, that’s what they say. It isn’t evident now. He cuts corners. He’s dishonest. He doesn’t follow regulations. And, most of the time, he doesn’t try to hide it.

He’s not a bad person. He’s someone you would like. He’s just like you and me. He’s a regular guy who goes to work everyday and puts in his time. He’s heading toward a pension. He’s got retirement in his sights. I wonder sometimes if he realizes how easily he could lose it all. Maybe arrogance and time have made him feel immune. He isn’t.

Maybe you would never compromise your integrity for a job. Are you sure? I have a friend who is a firm believer in showing up, doing your job, and going home. Don’t get involved in anything you don’t need to be involved in, he says. Don’t pay attention to what someone else might being doing. Just do your thing and let it be.

But is that the right thing to do? Should we turn a blind eye to behavior that is wrong, dishonest, illegal? If we do that, are we part of the problem? We relax our own standards when we refuse to speak up against something that is wrong.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters. – Colossians 3:2

I represent Jesus, whether I am at church, at home or in the workplace. That’s true of every believer. We are His light, His hands and feet, in this world. If we ignore wrong behavior, how can we expect anyone else to step up and do something?

Jesus always defended the underdog. He reached out to the outcast, the sinner, those who were hurting and desperate. He never once said it was someone else’s problem. Jesus directed His disciples to do the same. We’re to speak up when something wrong is happening.

It’s not an easy task. Do you confront the wrongdoer directly? Do you go to someone higher up, risking that he might also be involved too? Do you remain silent?

And do you participate, directly or indirectly, in what’s happening? What do you do when a supervisor tells you to do something that you know is wrong? Do you have the courage to walk away from a paycheck if that means keeping your integrity? Do you trust God enough to refuse to be sucked into wrongdoing?

Paul tells us to do everything as though we are working for the Lord. Would Jesus look the other way? Would Jesus risk everything to be honest? Would Jesus do what was right no matter the cost?

That’s how you live your life. It’s the difference between being a person who lives his faith and being a person who doesn’t.

May 11, 2018

The Little Things Reveal Truth

The greedy bring ruin to their households, but the one who hates bribes will live.

– Proverbs 15:27

Have you ever sold anything on Facebook with one of those buy/sell groups? It surely does attract all kinds of people. It’s amazing what some of them will do to get what they want.

Some people think nothing about using a private message to try and get ahead of a pending sale. I guess they think it’s okay. It’s just business, you know. It’s okay to try and outmaneuver someone else to get what you want. It’s not really dishonest. Everyone does it.

Except it is dishonest and, no, not everyone does it. There’s a reason why most of the sites ban this type of behavior. It’s just wrong.

I doubt the people doing this really see themselves as dishonest. They’re just playing the game of life, trying to win. It’s just a little compromise. The only trouble with little compromises is that after a while they start to add up, leading to even bigger compromises. And pretty soon your life has headed in a direction you never intended to take.

It’s like the person who helps himself to pens or a notebook from his workplace. Everyone does it. Then it’s an easy step to padding expenses because, again, everyone does it. Where does it stop? What’s the line you won’t cross? Because stealing is stealing, no matter how small or how large the amount.

We like to point fingers, don’t we? Everyone does it so that makes it all okay. Or, he was going to do it and I just did it first. That’s another good excuse. We feel like victors when we take advantage of someone so we can get a bargain. There’s no guilt in our hearts. How sad is that?

During this season of life, I’ve found that those who preach the loudest are the ones most likely to try and take advantage of me. In the name of Jesus, of course. I doubt they even consider what their testimony looks like for those looking in at them from the outside world. People don’t see a man of God. They see a hypocrite. They see someone they don’t want to be.

A sweet friend this morning noted that we may be the only Bible some people ever read. It’s a common saying but that doesn’t lesson its truth. You can say all the right things but, at the end of the day, it’s what your actions say that reveals your heart. Are you taking what isn’t yours to take? Are you attempting to deceive, to destroy, to harm? Are you dishonest in the small things of life? Are you a cutthroat businessman? Do you judge what you don’t know?

Integrity pops up at the oddest times. So does dishonesty. It’s the little things that, when added together, make a life. What does your life say about you?

March 13, 2015

What Kind of Testimony is Your Life?

 

"Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them."

-- Matthew 7:20

What kind of testimony is your life giving to others? We'd like to think that others know how deep our faith goes but small words and actions can tell them something different.

I recently encountered a sweet couple who were full of complaints. I know. "Sweet" and "complaints" don't really go together. It is the difference between surface and soul.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that are good people. But they called something "defective" instead of admitting that their child had caused the damage. Everyone knew. It was just so obvious. But they wanted a free repair and they got it. Frankly, it was easier than fighting it.

I wonder if they were surprised that they didn't get free service for their vehicle while the company was dealing with their "complaint." I truly believe it's what they expected. After all, shouldn't everyone want to make them happy?

Oh, did I mention that he is a pastor?

It could have been anyone. It certainly isn't the first time someone has manipulated a situation to get something for free. It just seems so much worse when it involves a pastor.

Or a church leader of any kind. There is a local contractor who is a leader in his church. He has a reputation as someone you just don't use. He talks good but his work his shoddy and doesn't hold up. What kind of life is his testimony?

Whether we realize it or not, our lives display our faith to others. What kind of life are you living? Are you drawing others toward Christ or turning them away?

February 26, 2015

Is Your Integrity Showing?

 

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?" -- Luke 16:10-11

A man I know works hard to earn a good living for his wife and children. He also loves the Lord with all his heart. Can the two live together or must one compromise for the other?

In his heart, his love for Jesus comes first. He will gladly sacrifice a sale or a paycheck. He proved that recently when a customer got angry over a misunderstanding. This man apologized and followed the customer outside. Whether he bought the product or not, he wanted the man to know in his heart that he had never intended to mislead him. He had tried to communicate clearly and he had failed. He took responsibility.

The customer saw his sincerity and understand that miscommunication takes two or more. He purchased the brought and a relationship was born. And it came from integrity and a love by both men for Jesus.

There's another man who works at the same company who isn't quite the same. Oh, he loves Jesus. He even teaches a Sunday School Class every other week. But his actions don't always reflect his claims.

He's all about the dollar. The company's bottom line and his are all tied together. He questions everything, right down to the last 15 minutes of an hourly employee. It would be easy to excuse it as just being frugal but here's the thing: he's too suspicious when there is no reason to be. As a member of my own Sunday School Class said recently: We tend to see in others the flaws we ignore in ourselves. In other words, this man would not be honest in these situations and he can't accept that others might be honest. His lack of integrity is showing.

How we live our lives reflects our integrity, sometimes in ways we don't see. Are you honest in your daily life? Do others see your faith in how you live out your integrity? There are few things that turn people away from Jesus like a Christian who doesn't live an honest life.