Integrity is crucial to personal development…

Jesus once said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Jesus wasn’t talking about eternal loss of the soul in this instance but the present loss of soul by living a life void of integrity.

What is integrity? We often think of integrity as telling the truth, but it goes much further than that; it is a matter of not only telling the truth but living the truth in every action of life. It is doing what you say you will do and even in the smaller matters of being punctual, being there when you say you will. It means keeping your promises or in marriage your vows.

There is a true story from history concerning the ancient Chinese. They had some powerful enemies to the north, so to protect their security they constructed the Great Wall of China thinking they would then be safe. The wall was so high that no one could climb over it and so thick that no one could break it down, but there was one problem that was overlooked and that was the integrity of the gatekeepers.  During the first 100 years, China was invaded three times but never by breaching the wall; the enemy just bribed the gatekeepers and marched right through the gates.

Integrity seems to be falling away in America. Ad Week reported that shoplifting is up 6% this year with one out of 11 shoppers taking something without paying. Retailers stand to lose $119 billion in 2011 they claimed. I’m thinking, since when do retail merchants lose anything; they account in advance for the loss and include it in the price of merchandise that does get paid for. Actually, you and I, who pay for what we get, also pay for what the dishonest steal. It does seem grossly unfair, but we live in a world that often takes the low way, and integrity often takes a backseat to greed and dishonesty. The sad part of it is that most shoplifters don’t have to steal; they have jobs but lack integrity.

Integrity is crucial to personal development…without it whatever other qualities of personal development that might be present are null and void. Integrity has within it trustworthiness, dependability, and consideration for others, which dishonestly ignores.

Since integrity isn’t relative and since it is based on a value system, it has to have a source, so the question is what is the source of our values? Are my values valuable? Are they sound and worthy? If our values are corrupt then integrity has lost its power. A good example of this would be if a husband and wife were to decide that it was all right with each of them to have an open marriage and so that becomes their value system. It may be their values, but they certainly are corrupt because it ignores the higher law of marital fidelity.

What better source is there for our value system than God’s 10 commandments on human behavior?

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17 NKJV)

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6. You shall not murder.

7. You shall not commit adultery.

8. You shall not steal.

9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

*Note concerning the fourth commandment: In the beginning of the New Testament the day of worship was changed to Sunday, the first day of the week, to correspond with the resurrection of the Lord.

Ten Benefits of Integrity

1. Living a life of integrity is a life of no regrets or guilt.

2. A life of integrity influences the behavior of others, especially family.

3. Integrity adds to your perception of others – who to trust and not to trust.

4. There are no cover-ups and trying to keep your stories aligned when you have integrity.

5. Integrity builds strong relationships.

6. Integrity reduces the amount of personality conflicts.

7. Integrity takes responsibility for its actions and makes no excuses.

8. Integrity builds a strong following.

9. People feel far more at ease around a person they can trust.

10. People of integrity are far more unlikely to be in trouble with the law.

Conclusion:

It is up to each person to determine if integrity is important to them or not. If you really care for others and want to be a better person, then integrity is essential and you will strive to make it a part of your life. On the other hand, if you are thinking about yourself only, then you will take advantage of others, steal from them and abuse them, but it will cost you dearly in terms of self worth, respect for self and the quality of life you live. Just as Jesus said, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”

About the author: Jimmie Burroughs is a motivational speaker and author who’s been involved in teaching Christian Personal Development for more than 30 years. He is a dedicated believer in Jesus Christ and considers helping others his calling in life. His websites contains over 600 articles on preparing yourself for success and better living through personal development.

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