We often hear that integrity is important to life. This comes as soon as we begin in basic training. It is taught from the start as one of the Army values and it’s found in all of the services as key to good service. It is taught to children as being important for a good life. Since integrity is so important, can you define it in your own words? Where does the meaning come from? Is that place your meaning comes from the appropriate place to get it from? I propose to you that we need to take it from only the most important place, God. If we are to apply it to our lives correctly, we need to understand what God calls integrity.

Considering the definition of the word is important because it is such a vital component to our spiritual and personal relationships. We need to be careful to use the meaning that is given by God for integrity for it is God's definition that we should be using in all the aspects of our lives. It is a value that is needed in military service and in personal relationships, so much so that without it, there are always problems if someone does not have it. It is the vital component that builds trust, integrity. What does it mean to have it before God?

Consider what is required of the people of God.

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8 ESV)

This scripture covers two things that must be considered, that is both the character and the conduct of a person. These things are essential if anyone is to have a life of integrity. So what does this integrity look like? We need to be able to recognize if we have the integrity as defined by God. If if it is required to be before the Lord, then we need to see if we have it. The Lord wants us to have it and one of the great things that God does, if He wants us to have a quality, He defines it and shows us what it looks like.

Consider Psalm 15 when to try to define what it means to have a life of integrity as well.

"O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved." (Psalm 15:1-5 ESV)

If we are to be a people of God, we must have this integrity. The Lord wants us to have it, it needs to be part of our lives in all that we do if we are calling ourselves a people of God. One of the reasons that we need it is because it keeps us honest with our faith. If we are that honest we will be honest about faith before others and it will affect what we do. Much of our problems in life are because we fail to live up to the principles and precepts of God. We must be honest in speaking of it, and doing what God wants us to do. Remember, character is from within while conduct is what we do. To have this integrity, it must come from within and be what controls the conduct. Not having it come from within means that we are just acting, in bible times, that would mean being a hypocrite. That is what hypocrite means, the word means actor originally, portraying something you’re not within.

Integrity comes from the heart. Doing what is right is a condition of the soul. It comes from within and is something that is done because we have to be honest with whom we are. It is through this honesty that integrity is seen by others, living a life in the open for all to see. When we live this way, nothing can be held against you that is not true, because the world knows who you are. There is one cultural trend that we have in America, people often keep their spiritual life a personal and quiet thing. Being a people of God is not a personal hidden thing; it is something that is supposed to transform lives and is easily seen. Integrity is what makes people different. It is something that is noticed by peers. Think of the people we have seen in life that have honorable lives, integrity is at the core of their lives. It is the core of who they are. Think of the people that you look at for mentorship, do they have this integrity? In most cases, people do see the integrity they want in their mentorship. The same needs to be said of us if we want to live such an honest life. Integrity is what gives us the strength to make it through the difficulties in life. It allows us to live a life without regret, giving us greater endurance and a better life. Live that life without regret.

Remember true integrity is when we do what is right when no is looking, and it is the same thing you would do in public with everyone watching and God would agree with what you are doing. That is a life of Godly integrity.