INTEGRITY
Integrity is not what we do so much as who we are. And who we are, in turn,
determines what we do. Our system of values is so much a part of us we
cannot separate it from ourselves. It becomes the navigating system that
guides us. It establishes priorities in our lives and judges what we will
accept or reject.
We are all faced with conflicting desires. No one, no matter how
"spiritual," can avoid this battle. Integrity is the factor that determines
which desire will prevail. We struggle daily with situations that demand
decisions between what we want to do and what we ought to do. Integrity
establishes the ground rules for resolving these tensions. It determines who
we are and how we will respond before the conflict even appears. Integrity
welds what we say, think, and do into a whole person so that permission is
never granted for one of those to be out of sync.
Integrity binds our person together and fosters a spirit of contentment
within us. It will not allow our lips to violate our hearts. When integrity
is the referee, we will be consistent; our beliefs will be mirrored by our
conduct. There will be no discrepancy between what we appear to be and what
our family knows we are, whether in times of prosperity or adversity.
Integrity is not only the referee between conflicting desires. It is the
pivotal point between a happy person and a divided spirit. It frees us to be
whole persons no matter what comes our way.