| Chuck Swindoll tells about a man who bought fried chicken dinners for himself and his date. Inadvertently, the attendant gave him the proceeds from the day's business; a bucket of money instead of fried chicken. Swindoll writes, 'After driving to their picnic site they discovered a whole lot more than chicken - over $800! But he was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back. By then, the manager was frantic. "Mr Clean" got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. "I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money here," he said. Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, "I'm gonna have your picture put in the local paper. You're one of the most honest men I've ever heard of." To which the man quickly responded, "'Oh, no... don't do that!" Then he leaned closer and whispered, "You see, the woman I'm with... she's, uh, somebody else's wife."' Paul writes, 'Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist...' (Ephesians 6:14 NIV). He was referring to a leather girdle Roman soldiers wore around their waist to protect their loins and carry weapons such as daggers and swords. This girdle also held the soldier's tunic together so it wouldn't get snagged and hold him back. When it comes to your spiritual armour, integrity protects you and holds everything together. If you don't have integrity in big things and small things, you're going to lose the battle. Without integrity, everything falls apart. |
