Tag: integrity

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Judges Devotionals Psalms Devotionals 2

Living with integrity

Prayer

Every morning, I read the psalms along with my daily Bible readings.

By chance, Psalm 26 was my psalm for the day. And I couldn’t help but notice the difference between King David’s attitude and Samson’s in Judges 14.

Imagine how different Samson’s life would have been had he prayed and lived David’s words.

Vindicate me, LORD,
because I have lived with integrity
and have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Test me, LORD, and try me;
examine my heart and mind.

For your faithful love guides me,
and I live by your truth.

I do not sit with the worthless
or associate with hypocrites.
I hate a crowd of evildoers,
and I do not sit with the wicked.

I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, LORD,
raising my voice in thanksgiving
and telling about your wondrous works. (Psalm 26:1-7)

I want to pray and live David’s words.

How about you?

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Psalms Devotionals

Being honest with yourself: Wisdom from the Psalms

Psalms

One theme that runs throughout Psalm 15 is integrity. And as I read verse 2, it really struck me.

In one translation, it reads this way,

“[He] speaks truth in his heart.” (ESV)

Another reads,

[He] acknowledges the truth in his heart.” (CSB).

It is impossible for us to people of integrity if we cannot even be honest with ourselves.

If we lie to ourselves about our motivations, our weaknesses, our failings, our sins, we will find ourselves in all kinds of trouble.

By lying to ourselves about these things, we can justify any sin we do, any wrong action we take.

“I don’t really have a problem with my attitude. Everyone just misunderstands me.”

“I don’t really have a problem with pride, lust, (or whatever your sin may be). Sure I fall sometimes, but doesn’t everyone?”

“I know the Bible says this is sin, but my case is special because….”

We can’t live that way. And the problem is, the more we tell ourselves these lies, the more we start to believe them.

As the old saying goes, “The worst kind of deception is self-deception.”

How about you? Do you acknowledge truth in your own heart? Or do you try to hide from it?

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2 Corinthians

Marks of a leader (part 2)

2 Corinthians

A couple of blogs ago, we looked at some of the marks of a leader. In this passage, I think we can see more of what a true leader in the church looks like.

1. True leaders do not think of themselves more highly than they ought, but that they think of themselves with sober judgment (Romans 12:3).

In short, they can see who they are, and properly evaluate themselves as a servant of Christ, seeing with humility both their strengths and weaknesses.

Paul said in comparing himself with those “leaders” who criticized him,

I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. (2 Corinthians 12:11)

Paul knew who he was. He was an apostle called by Christ.

He was accredited by the signs, wonders, and miracles he performed; he had started multiple churches; and though he wasn’t “impressive” as a speaker, he nevertheless spoke to great effect.

Yet he also remembered that he was nothing in himself, the least of all the apostles because he had once persecuted the church. (1 Corinthians 15:9)

That in himself he was weak and could do nothing. (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

True leaders need to be able to see themselves with that same kind of lens, remembering who they are in Christ and their daily need for God’s grace in their lives and ministries.

2. True leaders also love their people, not simply looking to use them for their own advantage.

Paul wrote,

I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.

So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? (2 Corinthians 12:14-15)

Paul truly wanted what was best for the Corinthians, and like a parent was willing to do anything to see them prosper spiritually, no matter what it cost him. All true leaders should have that kind of mindset.

3. True leaders are consistent in their integrity.

Some of the Corinthians accused Paul of somehow trying to exploit them or deceive them, ironically by not taking their money to support his ministry to them.

Perhaps they were saying, “Well, he’s saying that he wasn’t going to take your money, but actually he is under the guise of taking up an offering for the poor in Jerusalem.”

But Paul could point to his life and the men he had sent to the Corinthians, showing that they had all acted with the utmost integrity. (2 Corinthians 12:17-18)

Would that all leaders be able to do that.

4. Finally, true leaders grieve over sin in their people’s lives and ultimately deal with it.

Paul’s fear was that he would have to deal with the Corinthians’ sins and deal firmly with it. He didn’t want to do that, and was grieved over that possibility, but he was willing to do it. (2 Corinthians 12:20-21)

All true leaders should be that way. They cannot simply look the other way in the face of sin.

That’s the kind of leader Paul was. What kind of leader are you?

Categories
2 Corinthians

That our ministry would never be discredited

2 Corinthians

All of us, whether in formal ministry or not, are called to be ministers of Christ.

We saw that earlier in chapter 5, where Paul tells us that we have been given the message of reconciliation and are called to be Christ’s ambassadors.

But it can be so easy for our ministry to be discredited. Put another way, it can be so easy for our Christian testimony to those around us to be discredited.

That’s why Paul wrote,

We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way. (2 Corinthians 6:3-4)

How can we be a stumbling block to those around us? By the way we live. By our attitudes and by our actions.

And so Paul did his best to make sure that he lived his life with integrity, no matter his situation.

He said that though he went through multiple hardships, yet he lived in purity, understanding, patience, kindness, and love. (2 Corinthians 6:4-7)

Think about that for a minute.

How often does our testimony suffer because in the midst of our hardships, we start complaining? Or we lose patience with people. Or we become self-centered, forgetting to be kind and loving to those around us?

Yet whether people honored him or not, whether people praised him or spread rumors about him, whether people considered him honorable or an imposter, whether people respected him or ignored him, whether he went through sorrow and joy, Paul always maintained his integrity.

He continued to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, holding on to righteousness, wielding the Word of God in one hand and the shield of faith in the other.

Can we say the same about ourselves? May our ministry to others never be discredited through our actions and attitudes.

Let us instead walk each day in integrity, in love, in purity, and in patience.

Most importantly let us walk in the power and comfort of the Spirit.

And if we do, we will make a difference in this world.

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2 Corinthians

When others misunderstand and accuse us

2 Corinthians

As you read this letter, you start to see that Paul and the Corinthians had been having a really tough time in their relationship.

Apparently, some of the Corinthians had taken some of the things he had said in his earlier letter badly, and were now accusing him of being unreliable at best, and duplicitous and manipulative at worst.

One thing they had brought up was that he had said earlier that he would come to visit him, and at the last minute he canceled on them.

As a result, Paul ended up having to defend himself as to why he canceled the trip. The main reason appeared to be people who were opposing his leadership.

Many scholars believe that there was a “painful” visit between Paul’s writings of 1 and 2 Corinthians.

During that visit, people opposed him to his face and he had had to confront them concerning their sin, causing a massive rift between him and the Corinthian church.

Paul apparently knew that if he came back right away, it would probably lead to another blowup, as things had not been resolved yet, and so he sent another letter admonishing them, in hopes that they would repent.

In the end, the majority of them did (2 Corinthians 7:6-13).

But there were still those in the church who accused him of being either unreliable or two-faced and deceitful (2 Corinthians 1:17, 7:2).

How do we deal with people like that? People who refuse to understand us and accuse us of things that are totally untrue?

I think we see some answers in Paul’s response.

Paul writes,

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God.

We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

The most important thing that we can do is to keep a clear conscience before God. That when we are with these people, to deal with them with holiness and sincerity.

It’s a little unclear whether the word in verse 12 should be “holiness” or “integrity.” (The Greek translations for these two words are different by two letters, and some of the Greek manuscripts use one word and some the other).

But either way, our actions should be holy or pure. And they should be filled with integrity, not duplicity. And we are to be sincere.

No matter what others may accuse us of or how they treat us, we are to always live this way, and deal with them in this way.

On the other hand, we are not to deal with them with worldly wisdom. What is worldly wisdom?

James tells us, saying,

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. (James 3:14-15)

Rather, we are to respond to them with the wisdom that flows from the grace of God. What is this wisdom like?

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. (James 3:17)

Paul showed that kind of wisdom. As a result, many of the Corinthians came to truly understand him.

To those who didn’t, he reassured them that there were no hidden meanings or agendas in his writings. And he expressed the hope that they too would come to understand that some day. (2 Corinthians 1:13-14)

But until that day, he would continue to live as he always had, with holiness, integrity, sincerity, and grace.

How about you? When others misunderstand you and accuse you, how do you respond?

Let us respond as Paul did, and live in holiness, with integrity, sincerity, and grace towards them.

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Acts

Integrity

Acts

Although Felix had been freaked out by Paul’s discussion of God’s coming judgment, he nevertheless, continued to call Paul in to chat. Why?

He was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe. (Acts 24:26)

One wonders what kind of subtle hints he gave Paul.

“It sure must be tough being restrained as you are. You’re so gung-ho for your religion. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just get out of here so you could spread it more easily? Your God would want that, right?”

Or,

“Your church must be really worried about you huh? Say, how big is this movement? What kind of resources do they have? I’m sure they’d do anything to help you, right?”

Paul wasn’t dumb. He knew what Felix wanted. But he refused to violate his integrity.

For two years this went on until finally, Felix was replaced by another man named Festus.

It would have been so easy for Paul to take the easy way out and give Felix the bribe he wanted. And there were so many “good reasons” he could have given for doing so. But he refused. Why?

One, he loved his Lord. And he put his trust in God that in his timing and his way, God would set him free…or not.

Either way, he refused to do anything that would displease his Lord.

Second, it would have destroyed his witness before Felix.

Think about this. He had just been lecturing Felix about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment for sinners. What would have Felix thought if Paul had suddenly turned around and offered a bribe?

Felix would have thought, “There must be nothing to what Paul said. If there was, he wouldn’t have offered me this bribe. He’d be too worried about this coming ‘judgment.'”

But Paul never compromised and his testimony stood.

How about you? Do you hold on to your integrity even though it may seem more convenient not to?

Hold on to it. Keep putting your trust in God, knowing that he would never ask you to do something that he has said is wrong. Commit yourself to doing things his way.

To do otherwise would not only sadden God, but destroy your witness with those you’ve been sharing Christ with.

Are you holding on to your integrity?

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Daniel 2

Integrity

Daniel and Lions

We now come back to Babylon where Daniel was still residing. A man named Darius was ruling as king there.

This is not, by the way, Darius the Great who is later mentioned in the book of Ezra.

It is not entirely clear who he was, but some speculate that he is known in secular history as Gubaru, who was governor over Babylon for fourteen years under Cyrus.

It is also possible that Darius was another title for Cyrus himself.

At any rate, Daniel had found favor in the eyes of Darius, and because of how well he had distinguished himself, he was about to be named as prime minister in Babylon.

The other administrators and satraps were none too pleased that this Jew from a conquered nation would be set over them, and so they tried to find anything in Daniel that would discredit him.

To their dismay, they could find nothing. It says in verse 4,

They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. (Daniel 6:4)

Eventually, they came to the conclusion that the only way to get to Daniel was through his love for God. And so, behind Daniel’s back, they came before Darius with a proposal.

The proposal was that for one month, no one could pray to any god or man except to Darius.

Why Darius agreed to this proposal is uncertain.

Perhaps he thought it would help change people’s allegiance from Babylon to Persia. Perhaps he did it out of his own pride.

Whatever the reason, the law appealed to him and so he passed it.

How did Daniel respond?

He continued to do as he always did. Three times a day he prayed before God.

The administrators kept their eye on Daniel, and as soon as they saw him praying, they went to Darius to report Daniel’s activities to him.

Darius was greatly shocked and saddened when he heard this and did everything he could to spare Daniel’s life.

But the law of the Medes and Persians could not be revoked, and so he was forced to throw Daniel into a den of lions.

You all probably know the story. God shut the mouths of the lions, and the next morning, when Darius found him still alive, he had him pulled out.

He then threw all of Daniel’s accusers and their families into the den of lions where they were all killed.

The thing that strikes me most about this story is the integrity of Daniel.

Here was a man that had the magnifying glass put on his life. Yet no one around him could find a single bad thing about him. He was neither incompetent, nor negligent, nor corrupt.

Not only that, when it came to a choice between following God or compromising his faith, Daniel never flinched. He held on to his integrity and continued to boldly follow the Lord.

How about you? Can people say the same about you?

If the magnifying glass were put on you by your family, by your friends, by your coworkers, what would they say?

And when the pressure is on from those around you to compromise your faith, do you hold onto your integrity, do you flinch? Do you give in?

May we all be like Daniel and be men and women of integrity.

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Ezekiel

Breaking your word

Ezekiel

Being able to trust someone is one of the most important things in a relationship. I think it’s one reason why God looks for us to be honest, both in our relationship with him and with others.

In this passage, God shows how important honesty is to him, as he deals with the Israelites, and in particular, with King Zedekiah.

Ezekiel tells a parable of an eagle that swoops down on a cedar tree, takes the topmost shoot, and plants it in a city of traders. Then he takes a seed from the land, plants it in another place, and it grows into a vine.

It seems here that Ezekiel is referring to Babylon (the eagle) taking the king of Judah (Jehoiachin) captive, as well as some of the other leaders of Judah (i.e., the topmost shoots of the cedar).

In doing so, a treaty was made between Zedekiah, Jehoiachin’s successor (represented by the vine), and Babylon, in which Zedekiah promised to submit to Nebuchadnezzar.

But in the story, it says that another eagle came, and the vine that sprouted from the seed that was planted started to seek water from this other eagle.

The second eagle represented Egypt, and basically the story meant that Zedekiah was breaking the treaty with Babylon and was seeking help from Egypt against Babylon.

And so God said of Zedekiah,

He despised the oath by breaking the covenant.

Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, I will bring down on his head my oath that he despised and my covenant that he broke.

Because he had given his hand in pledge and yet did all these things, he shall not escape. (Ezekiel 17:18–19)

Zedekiah swore in God’s name to serve Nebuchadnezzar, but in trying to seek help from Egypt (which God had severely warned Israel against), he broke that treaty.

Not only that, Zedekiah continued to break the covenant that God had made with the Israelites through Moses, by serving other gods.

As a result, God warned Zedekiah that judgment would be coming through Babylon.

How about you? When you give your word, do you keep it? Or do you easily break it?

Is your word something you take seriously? Or lightly?

However we may see our own word, God sees it as something important to him.

So let us be people of integrity and always be honest with him, and with others.