Integrity Can Make a Comeback!

             On one occasion, Jesus said “Why can’t you decide for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:57 NCV).  Sometimes I wonder if we have lost sight of what it means to do what is right.  Have we lost the zeal for integrity?  The news will tell us “yes”.  We have allegations of misdeeds on all parts of the political spectrum, totally senseless crime is rampant, and so many of the popular slogans continually tell us that it’s all about us.  Take care of Number One and life will be great!  Integrity seems to have been lost or ignored in our efforts to get whatever we want, be it fame, power, wealth, or social followers. 

            That’s a bleak picture that I’ve painted but don’t lose heart, there is still hope. There’s always hope when God and His Truth are at the center of our focus.

So, what is integrity?  Some have defined it as a standard of right and wrong that relates to obligations, fairness, and justice.  That sounds like Micah 6:8b “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God (NIV84).  Dwight Eisenhower once said that “the supreme quality of leadership is integrity.”  Integrity usually involves honesty, responsibility, trustfulness, promise-keeping, and helping others.  In many ways, it encompasses the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6: 31 NIV84).

            So, have we lost this quality for good or is there still hope that we can put aside our own selfish desires and strive to do good or as Jesus put it, to decide for ourselves what is right?  As long as people are striving to grow in the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22, 23), and to be obedient to God, there is hope that we can overcome the sin that has permeated our culture and restore our sense of integrity. 

            Recently, I heard about one indication that integrity still lives.  During a College softball game, one of the players hit a grand-slam homerun that would have given her team the lead over her No. 4-ranked opponent.  As she rounded first base, somehow, she was injured and unable to go on.  The rules require that she touch every base before the run counts.  The rules also say that her teammates can not touch her until she crosses Homeplate.

What a dilemma!  That was probably one of the most exciting moments of her life but suddenly it seemed all for lost.  Then, out of nowhere, two of the opposing team members came to her rescue.  They carried her around the bases, making sure that her foot touched each one, giving her credit for the grand slam that she had earned.  Ultimately, the opposing team lost the game partially due to their actions. 

I’m as competitive as the next person, and like so many sports enthusiasts, my first reaction in that situation may have been “What a break for us!”  But after reflection, I have to say, that was integrity!  Those girls knew that if they won because the batter couldn’t complete the run, it would be a hollow victory.  They knew that she had earned that moment and it was only a freak accident that was keeping her from it.  So, even though it was not beneficial to them or their team, they knew it was the right thing to do.

Integrity is not always easy.  Sometimes, it will not be popular, as I’m sure it wasn’t among some of their teammates or fans.  Sometimes, it will have dire consequences, even greater than losing a ballgame.  Sometimes, it will not be easy, especially in the face of opposition.  Sometimes, it will involve loss of friends or position or even financial loss.  However, it will always be a true test of character.  Sometimes, we just have to learn to do what is right.  In the book of Isaiah, the Lord said it this way: “Learn to do right.  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1: 17 NIV84).

Proverbs 21: 3