Integrity - One of the three components that make a person trustworthy.   Scripture is filled with passages urging integrity in believers—it just talks about integrity without using that term. Think of the most famous New Testament commands for Christian living: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25). Such a list is a command to live a life of the highest integrity, a life that brings goodness and blessings to all people.  In short, the Christian command to integrity is a command to both talk and walk in the way of Jesus.  

It's a life marked by love, compassion, mercy, justice, and honoring God's call above everything else. It's the life spoken of in 1 Peter: "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (3:10-12). That definition of integrity calls us to walk in the path of Christ, and to steer clear of hypocrisy.  So how can we live a life of integrity? We must accept God's call to live in his will and walk in the footsteps of Christ. We must live the kind of life that Jesus lived, even if no one is watching you.

We must obey the command of James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." It's simple, and it's difficult. And it's all that God asks.

Do you have integrity?  Do I have integrity?  It's hard to answer now that we have God's definition.  Yet we trust one another more easily than God.  God has integrity that overflows.  Let's remember this next time we question whether or not to trust.  

Next time we will take a look at Ability!