Integrity
“3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.”
—
When I read Psalm 24, one of the first words that comes to my mind is the word “integrity.” When the psalmist asks, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?” - the answer includes the concept of integrity, “Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.”
Dictionary.com defines integrity as “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty; the state of being whole, entire, complete, or undiminished.”
“Integrity” comes from the same Latin root as “integrated” and “integer.” In his best-selling book, The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey writes, “A person has integrity when there is no gap between intent and behavior... when he or she is whole, seamless, and the same both inside and out.”
I sometimes put it this way: Integrity is being the same on Monday morning or Friday night as you are on Sunday. Integrity is being the same at home or at the office as you are at church. Integrity is being the same with people whom you don’t know very well that you are with people you know intimately. As the old familiar quote says, the measure of your integrity is “who you are when no one else is looking.”
My Father, Dr. Robert (Bob) Green was certainly a man of integrity. He was humble, professional, scholarly, diplomatic, friendly, kind-hearted, and loving. As Pastor of Dahlonega Baptist Church for over 23 years, he represented Christ well in the grace of his daily life.
This integrity showed up as he would diligently study and prepare for his weekly sermons and Bibles studies. Even when he came to passage of scripture on which he had previously preached or already taught, he wouldn’t just say the same ol’ things he had said before. No! He would dig deeper to find new and refreshing nuances of meaning that would make the text come alive with understanding and application. He told me once “that if he wanted a passage of scripture to grab the listener and make a difference in their lives, it first had to grab him and make a difference in his life.”
Both of my parents lived this integrity day in and day out. Even at home when attending to daily chores, errands, and the everyday stresses we all endure, Dad and Mom were kind-hearted, gentle, understanding, exceedingly patient, and very loving. Their words and their lifestyle matched. They were in alignment. They were congruent. As we sometimes say, “they walked their talk!” Now that’s integrity.
I hardly ever heard either of them say an unkind word about anyone. They were very apt to give everyone the grace of the “benefit of the doubt.” Dad explained to me on several occasions that, “If someone lashes out at you, pause and say a prayer for them because most likely they are lashing out at you because they are afraid or frustrated at something hidden from the issue at hand.” Modern psychologists describe it this way: “Hurting people, hurt people.” I’ve found this to be very true.
Brené Brown writes, “Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.”
I am so thankful for my parents. They modeled this kind of integrity everyday of their lives.
I pray that my life will be a life of integrity. I pray that the fruit of the Spirit will be evident each day – at church, at home, at play. I pray that my life will exemplify humility, honesty, grace, purity, and love in all I do and say.
“O God in whom all life begins,
Who births the seed to fruit,
Bestow Your blessings on our lives;
Here let Your love find root.
Bring forth in us the Spirit’s gifts
Of patience, joy, and peace;
Deliver us from numbing fear,
And grant our faith increase.
Unite in mutual ministry
Our minds and hands and hearts
That we may have the grace to seek
The power Your peace imparts.
So let our varied gifts combine
To glorify Your name
That in all things by word and deed
We may Your love proclaim.”
Carl P. Daw (1990)
You are loved!
Mark Green
Pastor to Senior Adults and Youth & Children's Music