Walking With Integrity

Jesus said, "Blessed / Happy are those who have pure hearts, for they shall see God."

- Matthew 5:8. Another way to put that would be to say - blessed are those who walk with integrity, for they will see God's purpose and plans for their lives more clearly.

The Bible has a lot to say about walking with integrity and why we should.

Let me share with you a few reflections I have on the practical blessings or

benefits of walking with integrity in this life.

First, walking with integrity blesses us with personal confidence!

" People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed." - Proverbs 10:19

People who walk with integrity know who they are and where they are going.

Walking with integrity doesn't mean you are perfect or sinless. It is more about being authentic and regularly checking to see if your motives are pure and admirable.

Walking with integrity gives you a confidence, because you have nothing to hide and you can simply be yourself... faults and all. Folks who have integrity tend to be more relaxed and their personalities are attractive. Why? Because they don't wear masks, and they are forthright and truthful in their conversations, friendships and business dealings.

I believe that when you walk with integrity you know what you stand for, and you stand with confidence in your convictions in a humble way! I've also found that people that have integrity tend to see God's purpose and plan for their life more clearly. And they walk more confidently in that plan and purpose with greater assurance that they are accomplishing and fulfilling their purpose in this life.

Secondly, walking with integrity blesses us with a lasting legacy!

" A righteous person lives on the basis of integrity. Blessed are his children after he/ she is gone." - Proverbs 20:7 (GW)

What will be your greatest legacy? Your money? Your trophies? Your job? Your stuff?

Your money (if you have any when you die) will be spent by someone else. Your job will be filled by another person. And all your favorite trophies, toys and other stuff will eventually end up in the dump! So, what is going to be your lasting legacy? Your integrity! People of integrity invest their lives in the important things that will outlasts them!

The truth is you're integrity is all you have. My integrity is the most important thing I will leave my children and my wife. Walking with integrity in my faith, in my marriage, with my family, at work and in all my relationships is what I will be remembered for - nothing more and nothing less.

Some of you may be thinking about a time when you lost your integrity, and perhaps you feel like it may be too late for you to leave a lasting legacy. That is not true!

The Bible is full of stories about people who blew it, sinned and made huge mistakes, yet God in His grace restored them. King David is one of the greatest examples of this! He sinned against God and stumbled badly! He had an affair with Bathsheba and she got pregnant. Then, to cover it up, David planned and caused the death of her husband. But later he repented and the Lord forgave him. There were consequences, but he was forgiven and given a second chance. David was able to be restored and served the Lord the rest of his days. The scriptures even tell us that God said about David's life and legacy that "he was a man after my own heart", and that "he fulfilled his purpose in his generation." Now that is quite a legacy!

If you are breathing, your story is not over. Your greatest legacy may be what you do with your life from this point forward. It's never to late to walk with integrity!

I want to walk with integrity so that I can leave a lasting legacy, and so that my children and all my children's children will be blessed. As I live my life, I'm always thinking about that end in mind. How about you? If we want to leave a lasting legacy, then we must train ourselves to walk with integrity with the end we hope to have in mind.

" The integrity of the honest will keep them on the right track." - Proverbs 11:3

3) Thirdly, walking with integrity blesses us with rewards in eternity!

"His master replied, ' Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with the small things; now I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your masters happiness." - Jesus, Matthew 25:21

Jesus was basically saying to the faithful servant who had walked with integrity, "great job, well done.... I took notice of the fact that you were faithful in the many small things I gave you to do even when no one else was watching. Now, I want you to join me as I put you in charge of a great many things."

You see integrity and character is who you are and what you do when no one is watching. When we walk with integrity, we pay attention to the little opportunities and the big opportunities that are put in our path. Those seemingly little opportunities may include simple things (seemingly small things) like: opening the door for someone, speaking an encouraging word, listening to a hurting friend, donating to help those in need or those impacted by the hurricanes, doing your best job at work, standing up for your convictions, refusing to lie or gossip, keeping your promises, visiting a sick friend, volunteering to serve or simply offering a bottle of cold water to a thirsty person. It could be a thousand different good things that you might do that no one will ever see. But you do it anyway. That is integrity!

In the Matthew 25 story, Jesus seems to be telling us that no one else may witness what we do when we walk within integrity, but the Lord always takes notice. There are rewards in this life and the next when we walk with integrity!

" But if you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, He will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much."

- Job 8:5-7