The word ‘integrity’ can be thrown around a lot in today’s society. But what does it really mean to live with integrity? A person with integrity is complete and undivided. The Bible says: ‘The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity’ (Proverbs 11:3 NIV). To live with integrity we need to be aware of the right way to live (which we can find out by reading the Bible), and then live like that in all areas of our life. We can’t be acting one way with one group of people, and another way with others. This means that we really need to know, and be strong in, who we are. If we’re not sure who we really are, we’ll try to adapt so we fit in with other people. We’ll be worried about what they think about us. But if we know who we are in Christ, we’ll be less concerned with other people’s opinions and be the same in every situation. But living with integrity doesn’t mean that we’ll never make mistakes. The Bible tells us that ‘a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again’ (Proverbs 24:16 NKJV). Everybody falls, but people with integrity always get back up. God is patient; He‘ll work with us until we get it. He can put our life back together again if we surrender to Him. We’ll also face times where we feel tempted to go the wrong way or to act differently in a situation. Paul says, ‘When you are tempted, he will…provide a way out so that you can endure it’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV). We don’t have to give in to temptation – it’s not easy, but God can help us make the right decisions so we can be people of integrity. 

What Now?

Write down all the activities you’ve done this week and all the places you‘ve been. Then spend time reflecting whether you showed integrity by being the same person in every place.