Keep walking in Integrity

Integrity speaks of the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles or moral uprightness. From birth we begin to learn, we begin to form our perception of right and wrong. As we grow our character takes shape heavily influenced by our early education, our environment and our personal experiences. We soon realize that “trust” is essential if we ought to be successful in life. Sooner or later we understand that our reputation is worth protecting and that if we are not seen as someone of integrity or someone who can be trusted, life becomes complicated.

I have found that there is a particular challenge for us when we fall short of biblical standards to get back up and re-establish our steps and our position. Our integrity is priceless and it cannot be easily restored. It means therefore that in pursuing God’s purpose for our lives, we ought to do everything possible, in his might, to walk uprightly. Failure to do so would cost immensely.

It is true that God’s grace is always available and sufficient to cover our sins. It is true that all God desires is a repentative heart and a desire to do right. It is also true that he does not remember our sins, reminding us about our failures over and over. Sadly, however, when we slip up, the devil seeks to capitalize on first time mistakes or what we may call the “little mistakes”.

At work, things were going missing from the refrigerator for a while, even you became a victim at some point. Today you compromised on your standard never to touch anything that does not belong to you. You noticed a bottle of cocoa cola and for the first time took a chance. You took it and drank it but not before another employee walks in, the owner of the cocoa cola, who obviously caught you red-handed. Guess what? You are tarnished, everyone now believes that you were the one stealing from the staff all along. You apologize and you try to convince them otherwise, but you are stuck with that tag. Sad but true. That coco cola was not worth it.

The comfort is if you are truly sorry, God will forgive you and he does not devalue you as human beings would. He still sees you as his child and is ready and waiting to stir those gifts within you for his glory. Many people would look at others and devalue them because they became aware of something wrong that they did. It happens intentionally and unintentionally. If we ought to restore our spiritual health and even grow deeper, we must see ourselves the way God sees us, not the way man sees us.

Man’s vision is often blurred, guided by emotions, perceptions that are not necessarily true, exaggerated circumstances, bitterness and much more. God’s gift of his Son to free us from the bondage of sin and provide us with an abundant life says it all. He loves us and desires to commune with us and speak through us. So while we remind ourselves of the importance of walking in integrity, remember that if you were to fall short of God’s standards, you need not to give up but to confess, accept God’s forgiveness and continue building a life of integrity. There are many great men and women who lived on to please God after falling because it was always their desire and goal in life to do so. Their set backs were not allowed to deter them from God’s purpose but instead made them stronger.

I encourage you to keep your eyes on the perfect one, he would inspire you to keep walking in righteousness.