Integrity is all about us being a whole, honest person. And that means we’re the same wherever we are, whatever we’re doing and whoever we’re with. We can often end up putting on different masks or identities, depending on the situation. Maybe how we are with our parents is totally different from how we are with our friends. Or how we are at church is different from how we are at work or school. But if we have integrity, we’re the same person. We may show different sides of ourselves to different people; we won’t always be completely vulnerable with everyone; but the essence of who we are, our true identity, is the same. The Bible says: ‘Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out’ (Proverbs 10:9 NIV). We live in a culture that celebrates talent over integrity, but we’ve got it backwards. Talent could fade over time. So could intellect and appearance. But integrity can last a lifetime if we prioritise it. Unfortunately, when we make mistakes our integrity can be damaged. Our good reputation can be shattered in seconds when we choose the wrong path. So we need to be asking God to help us stay on the right path. David prayed: ‘May integrity and uprightness protect me.’ And we can pray that too. If we do end up with damaged integrity, we can rebuild it again, it may take some time for people to trust us again but we don’t have to lose hope or give up. We just need to return to God, ask for His forgiveness and get back on the right path.
