Day Twenty-Six
INTEGRITY
Remember, we Christians think man lives forever. Therefore, what really matters is those little marks or twists on the central, inside part of the soul which are going to turn it, in the long run, into a heavenly or a hellish creature.
—C.S. LEWIS
Mere Christianity
Integrity is costly and uncommon in this world. At the same time, it positions you to walk in the perfect will of God. (See Romans 12:2.) How? This is what I want to explore with you today. The book gives a more clear understanding of the will of God, explaining what it means to experience the perfect will of God, as opposed to some more mediocre or status quo experience (which sadly, many are content to remain in).
You have been made for more than status quo. Never settle for mediocre when you have been created and redeemed to be a catalyst of transformation in your world. Remember, social change begins with soul change. Soul change happens when we understand what true integrity is and how it operates in our lives.
When we think of exemplary individuals who exhibit integrity, we consider people who live with a great degree of oneness. They are the same in front of an audience as they are behind closed doors—no duplicity. The pastor is the same at the pulpit as he is at the grocery store. The politician is the same person, whether delivering an impressive speech, sharing at the dinner table, or reading to the little ones at bedtime.
Integrity inspires us because it reveals the possibility of living the same way all the time. The world is tired of duplicity, hypocrisy, and phonies. It takes too much energy to live that way. Unfortunately, like many, we expect hypocrisy, and when we are exposed to integrity, we are surprised.
I want you to constantly surprise the world. You are a true representative and ambassador of the Kingdom of God in your sphere of influence. The Spirit of God lives within you and He enables you to live a life of integrity. Even in the midst of societal corruption and rampant immorality, you can live as a man or woman of integrity. It all begins with aligning your spirit and soul—God’s thoughts directly influencing your thoughts.
Integrity is not perfection; it is an intentional, lifelong pursuit— it is living true to who you are and walking out your core values. Integrity begins and ends with a commitment to refuse to be anything less than what God says we are and living according to His standards. Those who don’t walk in integrity won’t experience God’s perfect will; they will forever be content with “satisfactory” or even compromise when Heaven is calling them to greatness.
To walk in integrity, you don’t have to be a spiritual superhero. Simply put, integrity is pursuing alignment between your soul and what was accomplished in your spirit because of Jesus. When you were saved/born again, your spirit was made alive. You became an entirely new creation. (See 2 Corinthians 5:17.) Here is the dilemma many of us face: How to allow what took place in our spirits to transform every other dimension of our being. For the sake of this teaching, we are focusing on the soul.
To experience social prosperity—where the eyes of society behold a man or woman who, every day, pursues alignment between spirit and soul—we need to begin by focusing on our thought lives. Integrity in our thought lives will ultimately produce integrity in every other realm of living.
In Romans 12:2, Paul writes concerning renewing the mind. What does this mean? Simple. It is your thoughts being in agreement with the thoughts of the One who has transformed your spirit. This positions you to walk in the perfect will of God. It makes complete sense. You will walk in the perfect will of God as your mind is filled with the thoughts of God. God’s thoughts and method of thinking will help navigate your steps, and if your mind remains under His influence, you will walk in His ways.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Who can you think of who models a lifestyle of integrity? Why?
Explain how you understand the connection between your spirit (specifically, the transformation that took place in your spirit at salvation) and your soul.
Describe what integrity in your thought life looks like.
ACTION STEPS
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out.
—ROMANS 12:2 MSG
Today, I gave you a key place to start when it comes to walking in God’s perfect will and modeling a lifestyle of integrity—your mind. How much do your thoughts reflect the thoughts of God? This is going to be a recurring theme for this study, so don’t be surprised if you notice the topic coming up frequently. Be mindful of your mind. Too often we shrug off our thought lives and discount them as of little consequence. In fact, what you think is the key to the quality of life that you experience. Your thoughts are more important than you can possibly imagine!