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I know according to Romans 3:23, it says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. “but you should remember that Isaiah 1:17 reminds us to Learn to do what is right not what is easy. The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching and that’s integrity. Integrity is the foundation that a successful life is built on. You can have talent, vision, determination, but without integrity, you won’t reach your highest potential.
God Loves Our Integrity.
Nowadays to most people it OK to tell a little lie here and there, It’s OK to cut this corner or cut that corner. It’s Ok to steal but don’t be caught. When you ask them why they are doing this they tell you that others are doing it too. No wonder such People think nothing about being dishonest i.e playing with pc when boss is not around, steal office supplies, not keeping their word. They wonder why they can’t get ahead. It’s because they don’t have integrity. So, let learn from James 4:17 which says that “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
Many things we face are simply test God to see are we ready to go higher? Maybe the bank teller gives you too much money in return. Are you going to have integrity, go back and make things right or are you going to say thank you, Jesus, you did it again? Do you call in sick to work? Coughing, sniffling So you can take the day off and go shopping.
When somebody knocks on your door at home and you don’t feel like visiting, do you tell your child, go answer. Tell him I’m not here. That works. But it’s not integrity. Don’t complain when your child doesn’t tell the truth. We’re leading by example. We can tell our children, do the right thing, stay on the high road. But if they see us compromising, they’re going to do the same thing. James 1:22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Be honest, be trustworthy, be a person of your word. Your reputation is one of the most valuable things you have. Proverbs 22:1 says a good name is worth more than great riches. You may gain with people, gain some material things, but what if you lose with God? He controls the universe. He’s the one that can open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings that you can’t contain. Then God’s favor will take you further. James 1:22 But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
You have to get honest with yourself (be real). You will never change if you don’t first acknowledge that there’s some pretending going on. The next time you’re tempted to switch over to the pretend you, the compromising you, the dishonest, you put your foot down, say, no, I’m not going there. You’ll become consistent the same on Monday as you are on Sunday, the same at work as you are at home (Psalms 101).
You can fool a lot of people, but you can’t fool your children. They know when there’s a double standard. What we do in secret, how we live in private will determine how high we go in public. And people may not be watching, but God is watching.
Psalm 34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right! Strive for peace and promote it! show God he can trust you.
If you have to hide what you’re doing, it’s probably not integrity. I’ve heard it said don’t do anything you wouldn’t want to read about the next day in the newspaper. Romans 14:23 But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.
God is watching to see when he can promote you. He’s waiting to see when you pass these tests so he can take you to new levels. Most of us don’t want to hear about integrity they want to hear about prosperity. You will never have prosperity if you don’t first have integrity. The two go hand in hand. When God can trust you, when you prove to him that you’re a person of integrity, there is no limit to how high he will take you. Galatians 6:9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
You may not be able to do everything your family members do. Watch what they watch, do business like they do business. I won’t compromise and do things that are questionable. There’s a price to pay to become all you were created to be. If it was easy, anybody would do it. According to 1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”
Proverbs 2:7 says God is a shield to those who walk in integrity. There are mistakes you could have made. Wrong terms compromise, but because of your integrity, God stepped in and closed the door, he kept you from the trouble, from the heart, he’s guarding your path.
STORY: There was a very wealthy man that had a friend that was a builder. This builder had been down on his luck and not had much business. The man felt sorry for him and decided to help him out. He gave him a set of plans with money to complete it. Just call me when you’re done. He assured him he would pay him very well if he had do a good job. This builder was so excited that he finally had some work, but he got to thinking if he would cut a few corners, save a little here, save a little there, he could pocket some of that money without anybody knowing about it.
So he went out and found the cheapest concrete he could find, had the workers water it down so it could go further. He saved several thousand dollars on the foundation. He bought the cheapest lumber. Some of it was old, crooked, warped. He didn’t care. He’s going to be behind the walls. Nobody would see him. He got the cheapest plumber, cheapest electricity on and on, right and left, cutting corners, pocketing the money. When he finished, he had saved nearly forty thousand dollars. He was so happy he called the owner over to look at the new house.
The owner was very impressed. Look beautiful on the outside. You couldn’t tell he had cut corners. This builder couldn’t wait to see how much he was going to get paid. He knew the owner was a very generous man. The owner said, you know, I don’t really need a new house. I have a beautiful one. I just wanted to help you out. He handed him the keys and said, here you just built your own house. He thought if I’d known it’s going to be mine, I’d built it a whole lot better.
We may not realize it, but we are building our own house. We can cut corners here, compromise there. It’s not hurting anyone except ourselves. Everything may look fine on the outside. What matters is what’s happening on the inside. Are we watering down our foundation, not being trustworthy in commitment, slacking off at the office? What kind of materials are you putting into your house? Romans 7:19 I don’t do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don’t want to do.
I’m asking you to be a person of integrity. Do the right thing when nobody is watching. Don’t let small things keep you from the big destiny God has in store. God is going to have a shield around you. He’s going to keep you from making major mistakes. You’re not only going to be protected, but you’re going to see promotion, good breaks, new levels, the fullness of your destiny in Jesus name.
Lastly, remember to follow the advice given in 1 Corinthians 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
Pastor Nathaniel
