Integrity

'...I have walked in...integrity...' Psalm 26:1 NKJV

To protect themselves from the barbaric hordes from the north, the people of China built the Great Wall. It was so high nobody could climb over it and so thick nobody could break through it, so they settled back to enjoy life. During the first hundred years of the wall's existence, China was invaded three different times. Not once did the enemy try to break down the wall or climb over it; they simply bribed the gatekeeper and marched in. While those who built it were relying on their wall of stone, they neglected to teach integrity to their children. As a result they grew up without moral and spiritual principles to guide them. Have you ever watched a big tree fall while others around it stood tall? How come the same storm that builds strength in one, topples another? You'll find the answer in the tree's core and roots. Getting the idea? When it comes to building integrity, here are some questions you should ask yourself regularly:

(1) Am I the same, no matter who I'm with?

(2) Am I willing to make decisions that are best for others, even though another choice would benefit me more?

(3) Can I be counted on to keep the commitments I've made to God, myself and others? Can you say like the Psalmist, 'Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in...integrity...'? (Psalm 26:1 KJV) Life is like a vice: at times it will squeeze you. In those moments whatever is inside will come out. Image-building and self-interest promise much but produce little, but integrity never disappoints. So, work on your integrity.