“The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them.” (Proverbs 20:7 NLT)
“Integrity” is a matter of character where who we are privately AND publicly are absolutely consistent with biblical values. That means that all of us are a “work in progress” because none of us are “absolutely consistent” all the time and we won’t be until we reach Heaven. The more consistency we have, the higher the degree of “integrity” we possess. Of course, when there is significant inconsistency between our public and private lives...we call that hypocrisy. “Integrity” is what makes you do the right thing even when you know that no one else is watching or would ever know what you’ve done. “Integrity” is first about the inner man being sincere and genuine while seeking God. Reputation, on the other hand, is about the outer man and what others think of you. If you lack “integrity,” you might cover it up for awhile, but it will eventually affect your reputation negatively. Just remember: a good reputation is like owning some gold, but a person with “integrity” owns the gold mine. If we take care of our character and become a person of integrity, our reputation will take care of itself. “Integrity” deals with many facets like honesty, dependability, work ethic, commitment, responsibility, etc., but my focus in considering this verse relates to our biblical values and learning to live consistently in them. We have to be ruthless with ourselves in removing inconsistency from our lives. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” (Psalm 139:23-24) That’s the way we ought to live every...single...day! And, usually we'll need close friends to help us be accountable in becoming people of integrity. What is really important to remember from this verse is the promise that is included for walking in integrity: our children will be blessed by our lives and can follow us to become people of integrity themselves. This should matter to us more than about anything else in life...that our family sees our integrity!
