Quality Characteristics – Integrity
I have heard it said;
It’s not what we eat that gives us strength – but what we digest.
It’s not what we earn that makes us rich – but what we save.
It’s not what we read that gives us knowledge – but what we remember.
It’s not what we preach that makes us Christians – but what we practice.
In Job chapter eight – the Bible says:
“Look, God does not reject a person of integrity, and He will not support evildoers.” Job 8:20 (HCSB)
God’s Word translation of the Bible interpreters this verse as:
“Certainly, God does not reject a person of integrity or give a helping hand to wicked people.” Job 8:20 (GW)
Today we are going to look at a quality characteristic that all of us should have – we are going to look at integrity.
The dictionary defines Integrity as: wholeness; purity; honesty; a genuine, unadulterated, unimpaired state.
For one to live in integrity means that one lives above reproach. It means that one lives a life of honesty. It means that one is not affected by living in a corrupt environment.
How many of you remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego? It is found in the book of Daniel chapter three.
The king of Babylon whose name was Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold. Then he passed a law saying: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, of nations and languages, that at any time you hear the sound of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that I, King Nebuchadnezzar have set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." Most of the people of the land obeyed the king.
But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not obey the king’s law – for they knew the first commandment that God had given. "You shall worship the Lord your God and serve no others." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego knew that God’s law was more important than any law that a man could make.
When Nebuchadnezzar heard that these three did not obey his law he became very angry. He flew into a rage and commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego be brought to him. So they brought these men before the king.
Nebuchadnezzar asked them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Because if you do not worship the golden image – you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego kept their integrity and answered the king saying, "We will not serve any golden image and if we are thrown into the fiery furnace our God will deliver us. But if He doesn’t spare our lives, let everyone know that we did not worship your image of gold.”
Then Nebuchadnezzar became angry. He was full of rage. He then commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than it was usually heated. When this was done - he commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego be cast into the burning fiery furnace. The Bible tells us that the furnace was so hot that the guards who took Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to the place of execution all died because of the heat.
Well you know what happened – King Nebuchadnezzar came and looked into the fire and he was astonished because what he saw was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego walking around in the flames. But not only had he seen those three – the Bible tells us that there was a fourth man in the furnace and He was like – “the Son of God."
You see God did protect these men for “God does not reject a person of integrity.” Integrity is a quality that all of us should strive for.
Today I want us to look at three benefits of living a life of integrity.
Benefit number one:
1. A person of integrity lives above CORRUPTION.
Proverbs chapter eleven and verse three says:
“The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” Proverbs 11:3 (NKJV)
God’s Word translation of the Bible interpreters this verse as:
“Integrity guides decent people, but hypocrisy leads treacherous people to ruin.” Proverbs 11:3 (GW)
When you decide to live a life of integrity – you know what to do when temptation comes. I have often heard it said:
There is never a wrong time to do the right thing!
I have also heard it said:
The pressure is off when your standard is not for sale!
In the book “The Day America Told the Truth” (1991), the authors (James Patterson & Peter Kim) relate the stunning results of a question, which was asked of Americans. The question was simply this: What are you willing to do for $10 million? One third of those poled said they would not do any of these things. However, 2/3 (75%) of those polled said they would do at least one of the following:
- Would abandon their entire family (25%)
- Would abandon their church (25%)
- Would become prostitutes for a week (23%)
- Would give up their American citizenships (16%)
- Would leave their spouses (16%)
- Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free (10%)
- Would kill a stranger (7%)
- Would put their children up for adoption (3%)
Let me ask you – what would you do if you found a wallet in the parking lot of Wal-Mart? It contained a $1000 dollars and a person’s ID. But no one saw you pick it up.
What would you do if you hit and damaged another person’s car in the same parking lot? But no one else saw you do it.
What would you do if you get out to your car and realized that the cashier gave you back $5 to much in change? But she was unaware of it.
You see:
Integrity is what happens when no one else is looking.
The year was 1929. The place was Chicago. A 26 year-old government agent named Eliot Ness formed an elite team of nine incorruptible men to bring down Al Capone’s $120 million mob empire. At the time, Ness was making $2,800 a year working for the government. One day a young man walked into his office and handed Ness an envelope with two one thousand dollar bills in it and promised the same amount every week if he would leave Al Capone alone.
Ness sent the money and the messenger back. Desiring to make a point, Ness called a press conference. Newspapers and newsreels from various agencies were in attendance. Ness told the story of Capone’s attempted bribe and his response to it. The next day the headlines in Chicago read “Ness and his men are UNTOUCHABLE.”
How many of you remember the TV show – The Untouchables? Did you know it was based on an historical event?
You see: A person of integrity lives above corruption.
Benefit two:
2. A person of integrity lives in SECURITY.
Let’s look at Proverbs chapter ten and verse nine:
“He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.” Proverbs 10:9 (NKJV)
God’s Word translation of the Bible interpreters this verse as:
“Whoever lives honestly will live securely, but whoever lives dishonestly will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9 (GW)
Is anyone in here looking for job security? If you are then live a life of integrity. How can I say this – because: Burke Marketing Research asked executives in 100 of the nation’s 1000 largest companies what is the number one reason that people get fired? Do you know what it is? Dishonesty!
Marc Silbert, whose temporary employee firm commissioned the study, says, "If a company believes that an employee lacks integrity, all positive qualities--ranging from skill and experience to productivity and intelligence--become meaningless."
Many of you may not know it but before I entered the ministry I worked a variety of jobs. One of the jobs that I worked as clerk at a convenience store. I worked the grave yard shift. I would be there in the wee hours of the morning. There were many nights when there was no one else around for hours at a time. The store was wide open to me. I worked there for more than a year. It was not one of favorite jobs.
The time finally came when I was going to move to California to go to seminary. I let the boss know that I was planning to move. I told him that I was going to go to seminary and that I had a job lined up that paid more then ten dollars an hour. (This was back in the early 1980s.)
The next day the boss talked to me and offered me more money than I would be making in California. (I had been making a lot less than that.) He told me that the reason that he could pay me that amount was because they always kept track of inventory and sales of the store. He said that since I had been working there less inventory was leaving out the back door. In other words - he knew I was not stealing it. He knew that I was an honest clerk.
Did you know that employee theft is one of the biggest problems businesses have today? It is! Folks if you’re working for someone – don’t steal from them. Employers – threat your employees correct. Don’t steal from them either. Pay them what they are worth. Do you want security? Live a life of integrity.
But I think the issue of security goes beyond the work place. It also goes into every aspect of life – especially what we say. If you always tell the truth you can live in security too. Think about it. If you go around telling lies – then you have to keep track of what lies you have told. If you have told several lies that causes all kinds of stress – because you have to remember what you told each person. If you told someone something and another person something else then sooner or later someone is going to catch you in your lie.
Mark Twain said: “Speaking honestly is better than telling lies. It takes a lot of stress out of our lives. If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything, but if you don’t tell the truth you have to remember everything you said.”
Folks let us live lives of integrity in what we say and in what we do.
Our third point today is:
3. A person of integrity leaves a lasting LEGACY.
Let’s look at Proverbs chapter twenty:
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” Proverbs 20:7 (NKJV)
God’s Word translation of the Bible interpreters this verse as:
“A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone.” Proverbs 20:7 (GW)
Integrity is an inheritance we leave to our children.
Several decades ago actor Charles Coburn told that when he was a teenager his dad always tried to dissuade him from ever going to see a burlesque show. He would say, “Don’t go there son, you’d see things you shouldn’t see.” But some time later he went anyway.
Coburn said, “My dad was right, I saw things I shouldn’t see, I saw my dad there!”
Honesty in what we say and in what we do matters! We need to live a life of integrity.
Have any of you ever heard Abraham Lincoln called honest Abe? Do you know why? Here is one reason.
At the age of twenty-four, Abraham Lincoln served as the postmaster of New Salem, Illinois, for which he was paid an annual salary of $55.70. In those days they would pay the postmaster a year in advance. The New Salem post office was closed in the middle of 1836, but it was several years before an agent arrived to settle accounts with ex-postmaster Lincoln.
By the time the accounts were to be settled Lincoln was a struggling lawyer not doing very well. The agent informed him that $17 was due the government. Lincoln crossed the room, opened an old trunk and took out a yellow cotton rag, bound with a string. Untying it, he spread out the cloth on the table and there was the $17. He had been holding it untouched for all those years. Abe said, "I never use any man’s money but my own."
Even then, twenty-four years before he entered the White House, Abraham Lincoln’s character of integrity earned him the title of "Honest Abe."
Proverbs twenty eight tells us:
“Better to be a poor person who has integrity than to be rich and double-dealing.” Proverbs 28:6 (GW)
Let me close with one last story about integrity.
The Daily Herald in Chicago on February 20, 1996 had an article with the heading, “Fairy tale Princes Story Turns Sour After Newlyweds Lose Money”. It seems a newlywed couple had left a black zippered case on the roof of their car as they sped away from the reception to begin their honeymoon. The case had all their wedding gift money in it - $12,000. By the time they reached their destination the case was gone.
Two days later the same newspaper carried headlines of a related story. They read: “Finders Keepers? Not All Believe It!” It seems that David Yi, an unemployed suburban resident, had come upon a black bag with $12,000 in cash. In spite of his mounting bills and jobless state, he didn’t keep the money. He knew it belonged to the "just married couple". Tracking down the couple, he returned the money. When asked why he turned it in, he said, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s fifty dollars or a thousand dollars or a million dollars. If it’s not yours – it doesn’t belong to you.”
What a great story – but that’s not all! Upon investigation, the media discovered that David Yi acting as Good Samaritan was consistent with his overall character. It seems that David had found fifty dollars the year before and turned it in as well. But that’s not all.
With all of this exposure David was offered several jobs. But David said, “I will only consider jobs I am qualified for. I feel that accepting a position for which I am unequipped would be dishonest.” David was living a life of integrity.
How about you? Are you living a life of integrity? Remember:
A person of integrity lives above corruption.
A person of integrity lives in security.
A person of integrity leaves a lasting legacy.
Remember the Bible says:
“God does not reject a person of integrity.” Job 8:20 (HCSB)
[Thanks to Dan Cormie for the sermon starter ideas.]
