“Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.”
Most of us would say we believe this proverb, but how many of us live like we do?
We all agree this is a wonderful truth for Sunday morning… but what about the business meeting you have this afternoon? Do you really think integrity is better than profit? How “transparent” will you be regarding situations that can cost you money?
What about the discussion you will have with your significant other this evening? Are you truthful with those you love when it’s inconvenient? Or have you convinced yourself that sometimes it’s better for them, if they don’t know the truth?
How valuable is your integrity to you? Today you may be tempted to be dishonest by not saying a word… and some of you will be tempted to outright lie … what will you do? How much would it cost for you to sell your honor? If you have a price in mind, then you don’t have honor to sell.
Integrity is static and nonnegotiable. You either value it enough to cling to it or you don’t. You can’t be “sort of” honest and there is no such thing as “half-truths”. Truth and deceit are mutually exclusive. Which one you choose will be determined by whom you serve. Self-centeredness produces deceitfulness… God-centeredness produces integrity.
If you tell me you’re going to “TRY” to be truthful today, I will tell you not to bother… you won’t be. That’s like telling me you are going to “TRY” to run a marathon… you will never finish if you have given yourself the option to quit. Integrity works the same way. You must either fully commit to it– or abandon the concept.
Our culture has polluted honesty to the point that it is unrecognizable. We offer “versions” of truth, twisting them to fit our situation. We call them white lies, exaggerations, embellishments, and other nice words but this verse calls that perverse.
You decide… but being “more” honest is not an option… you are either honest or you’re not… You and God will know the hard truth. Make sure your actions allow you to look in the mirror and know you did the right thing, and that regardless of the outcome, you acted with honor.
"Integrity is always making the decision you can best shave with…"
- Anonymous
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