Integrity

Have you ever had your integrity questioned or challenged? Maybe by your kids or co-workers or random strangers. It doesn’t feel good! Can I get an amen?

Integrity is defined as being whole and undivided. It is about being honest and strong in your principles. Biblically, integrity goes deeper to say I will be whole, undivided, honest, and strong in my principles to love God, follow Jesus, and be faithful to God’s daily calling for my life.

In Psalm 41, David is tempted to go against his integrity because of physical suffering and social pressures. It is straightforward to obey God when we are healthy and surrounded by people who support us. But what do we do when your body is giving out and you have no one on your team? It is very easy to throw in the towel and compromise.

However, by God’s grace, David does not do this. It is not because David is great, but because David surrenders himself to God, who empowers him. Verses 11-12 says:

By this, I know that you delight in me:

   my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.

But you have upheld me because of my integrity,

   and set me in your presence forever.

- Psalm 41:11-12

David had more integrity than his enemies; however, he deeply recognized and acknowledged that God enabled him to have integrity. Verse 12 says, “You have upheld me…”

Our own morality and uprightness are never enough. We absolutely need Jesus to infuse it into us. Our humanness is not enough; we need His power.

Furthermore, he needed God to sustain his integrity. Anyone can have integrity at the moment. But how do we uphold our integrity? Much like the purpose of the psalms, which is to sing the psalms, again and again, we are to keep going to Jesus again and again. Just like we need to breathe constantly, eat food constantly, and refuel our cars constantly, integrity requires constant reliance on Christ.

I’ve been cherishing this quote by Dallas Willard about integrity:

Circumstances and other people are not in control of an individual’s integrity or of the life that lies endlessly before.”

— Dallas Willard

Our society requires more people of integrity to proclaim the gospel well. I believe God is doing this work here in our church!

I pray that so many more will be able to confidently proclaim verse 12, “But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.”  Amen.

Pastor Sean

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