“I will pay attention to the way of integrity.
When will you come to me?
I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.”
– Psalm 101:2
Integrity is far more than simply telling the truth. Integrity describes a wholeness and consistency that exists across every aspect of our lives. A heart of integrity takes what we believe about God, Christ, and the Gospel and applies it to every part of our thoughts, words, and actions.
Jesus had perfect integrity – there was no inconsistency between His heart, His thoughts, His words, and His actions. As His followers, we‘re called to be the same way. While we’ll never be perfect, God’s Spirit within us empowers to live lives of ever-increasing integrity.
However, that requires us to pursue lives of integrity. To grow in integrity, we can’t be consuming God’s Word for a few minutes while consuming garbage throughout the rest of the day. Likewise, we can’t be praising God at certain times while trashing people at other times.
Like the Psalmist, we need to desire, pray for, and pursue lives of ever-increasing integrity. Such lives are often quiet, humble, and anonymous, but they are the lives that profoundly change the world and advance the Kingdom of God in their own community!