Integrity is important!

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:9-11/NIV Reading about Joseph in the Bible we see that he was a man of integrity and someone who was reliable and trustworthy. Even though his brothers and Egyptian elite treated him poorly, and betrayed him, he stuck to his values and maintained a responsible nature. God observed the hardships he was enduring and did not forget him and restored him to a position of prominence and authority. Joseph could have quietly and secretly been disobedient, but his desire to maintain integrity led him in a genuine direction which was pleasing to God! Daniel was of Jewish descent and someone with a reputation reflecting fidelity and commitment. He steadfastly maintained his worship practices consistent with his Jewish heritage and teaching and sought to bring honor to God. When Daniel was observed praying to the only true God, his Heavenly Father, the Egyptian elite who did not agree with his worship practices sought to have him killed. His punishment involved being thrown into a lion's den, but God delivered him from this fatal anticipation. Daniel maintained integrity with the one true God as well as his Jewish brethren. Joseph and Daniel were pure and blameless in their actions and deeds. However, they were surrounded by people who lacked integrity and sought to bring them down. The same may happen with us as well. To minimize risk of adverse social connections, perhaps we should avoid people who may take us in the wrong direction leading to misery. "When you lay down with dogs you get fleas" is an old saying which helps us consider who we associate with. We should associate with people of good quality and of good reputation. We should keep people around us who have integrity. For us, as we move forward in life, we should do so in transparent fashion, hiding nothing. We should be trustworthy and authentic and of truthful quality. When people hear our name, their first thought should be positive. As we seek to be a light shining for Jesus Christ, that is what they should think – a bright and positive person of quality with integrity who reflects the light of Jesus Christ. "The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy" (Proverbs 12:22/NIV). I choose to be truthful and trustworthy and have integrity! Self-reflection considerations: am I pure and blameless in my actions and deeds? Will my social interactions and connections potentially bring me down? Many blessings to you! James Reasor is an author and volunteer chaplain with Ballad Health.