In his day, the apostle Peter wrote that people were watching Christians to see what kind of difference faith made in their lives. It is the same over 2,000 years later. Followers of Jesus are in close proximity everyday with people who do not know God or His Son Jesus Christ. They could be our neighbors, our co-workers, our classmates or maybe even our family members. Here is Peter’s warning for those followers of Jesus: “Be careful how you act.” People who don’t know God are watching and observing. What do they watch? What do they observe? Like it or not, they watch to see if what Christians claim to believe on Sunday morning is put into practice on Monday thru Saturday. In a word, they watch to see if we have integrity.  

Scriptures – Proverbs 10:9; Luke 23:4; John 16:33; Acts 24:15-16; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Peter 2:11-14, 2:18-19, 21-22

Verses – “When you are around people who do not know God, be careful how you act. Even if they talk against you as wrongdoers, in the end they will give thanks to God for your good works when Christ comes again.” 1 Peter 2:12.

Thought – Integrity is one of the foundation blocks we must build on for our Christian life. Some synonyms for the word integrity are decency, goodness, honesty, virtue and character. Integrity is a high standard of character based on a personal code of morality. It doesn’t give in to the whim of the moment or the dictates of the majority. King Solomon is considered the greatest builder in the Bible having built the first Jewish temple and many other magnificent structures and buildings. He also is considered the wisest man who ever lived outside of Jesus. Some of that wisdom shows up in the OT book he authored. One of his proverbs says, “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.” (Proverbs 10:9) Solomon is talking about people whose lives are an open book. They say to a watching world, “Go ahead and look. My behavior will match my beliefs. My walk will match my talk. My character will match my confession. I’ll walk the straight and narrow way of character and integrity and not follow the crooked paths of dishonesty, situational ethics, hypocrisy and twisted moral principles. I will serve and honor Jesus with my life not only on Sunday morning but also on Monday and every other day of the week.”

Questions – What do you think of when you hear someone referred to as a person of integrity? What is your definition of integrity? How hard is it to live a life of integrity in the present-day culture? Has the church, in general, been negligent in teaching followers of Christ about being people of integrity? If so, why is that? Who comes to your mind when you think of a person of integrity? What is your best advice to a new Christian regarding temptation? How hard is it for you to show respect to a corrupt leader or government? In general, do you think there is more or less integrity in the workplace today than 10 years ago? Why? How hard is it for you to “speak the truth” in every situation? 

Response – Make a prayerful commitment to honor Jesus Christ by being a person of integrity in five ways. #1 Keep away from tempting circumstances. #2 Show respect for authority. #3 Stand for what is right in the workplace.                     #4 Speak the truth in every situation. #5 Seek God when you are suffering. 

Prayer – Dear Jesus, thank you for being the model of integrity that I should follow. Please forgive me for not living up to your example at various times in my life. Help me be the person of integrity that I desire so I can be a living witness to the love and mercy and saving grace that you offer all people. In Your name I pray, Amen.