Building Integrity,Extreme Makeover: Heart Edition November 3, 2007, Kevin McCarthy, Discover Church
Clingstone is a house that was built in 1905 on a peninsula in the Narraganset bay near Newport Rhode Island. It was constructed with heavy mill type framing, It’s shingled inside and outside, and was designed to withstand hurricane force winds. In 1938 a hurricane, dubbed the “long Island express,” roared through: my brother-in-law says that it washed out the peninsula road, but left the house atop it’s bedrock foundation. Today, Clingstone sits atop “Dumpling Island” –still standing,still in use, but accessible only by boat. What enabled Clingstone to withstand the Long Island Express? –Integrity –integrity of it’s foundation and it’s structure. We all need integrity, in our morality, spirituality, relationships, finances, and work habits. Without integrity, we’re likely to collapse under the weight of our character flaws, or get blown away by one of life’s storms, as Jesus warned his first followers: These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." (Matthew 7:24-27, The Message) Now this paraphrase of a section of Jesus first, and longest teaching (the “sermon on the mount”) captures so well the critical nature of true integrity: congruency with God, and with self.
For the sake of understanding, let’s review some terms relating to moral integrity:
Ethics refers to your standard of right and wrong, good and evil –the values you believe in/hold to. the foundation you base your morality on. You can have bad ethics, just like a building can have a bad foundation. The leaning tower of Pizza is a great example of a structurally sound building on a faulty foundation. St. Paul wrote: Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11, MSG)
Morality is your lived standard of right and wrong, good and evil. It’s what you do that reveals most accurately what you believe. Jesus put it this way: “just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” (Matthew 7:20, NLT)
God’s advises us through the Apostle Paul to: Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. 1 Corinthians 3:11-14 MSG Life has a way of “inspecting” you, bringing you under scrutiny, doesn’t it? We need to live our lives as if they’ll be on display one day, because they will. Sow a thought, reap an action, sow an action, reap a habit, sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.
Integrity means “sound, complete, integrated.” Its “The quality or state of being complete or undivided or incorruptible.” To the extent that your ethics and morality are integrated/aligned (or congruent) you have integrity.
Hypocrisy is the extent that your ethics and morality are not integrated, your lack of integrity. It’s the difference between what you practice and what you profess; How are we –the church in America- doing on the Integrity scale? Not well, according to the Barna Research Group who discovered this year that 85% of 16-29 year-olds outside of the church see Christians as somewhat or a lot hypocritical. Sadly, 47% of 16-29 year-olds within the church see born again Christians as hypocritical. [Unchristian, by David Kinnaman, President, Barna Research Group]. Hypocrisy was the number one thing Jesus criticized. He reserved his harshest words for religious hypocrites –those who denied or rationalized their lack of integrity. Here’s just one example from Matthew’s record: I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God’s kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won’t let anyone else in either. (Matthew 23:13, MSG)
Why develop Integrity? A. Integrity protects me. King David’s plea to God was this: May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Psalm 25:21 David knew what it was to have integrity, and to lack it –he learned the incredible value of integrity, and vulnerability of hypocrisy. How will integrity protect you? Here’s a few ways:
• You don’t regret anything you have done.
• Your powers of observation are more accurate. You can see the truth about others more easily.
• You handle rejection and criticism more easily.
• You have fewer personality conflicts with others --even when you are aggressive.
• You fight crimes against you with more ferocity when you have nothing to hide.
• When you make a mistake, it is easier to accept responsibility and move forward.
• You earn the reputation as a person with integrity.
• Your odds of being sued, fined or convicted of a crime go way down.
Solomon stated that “Moral character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. Good character is the best insurance.” Pr. 11:5-6 (Mes) There’s substantial medical evidence that a higher degree of integrity leads to a longer, healthier life. Doing the right thing –acting in concert with your God and conscience- is the best insurance policy. Solomon further states: The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. Proverbs 11:3 Life’s simpler, clearer when you know what you believe in or value, and live it out consistently; there’s less confusion, indecision, temptation. Integrity protects. Look at Jesus, who had perfect integrity, could say at the end of his life that the devil didn’t have a thing on him! [Dig deeper: read John 14:6, 30-31; compare to John 7:18]
Why develop Integrity? B. Integrity promotes me. Researchers James Kouzes and Barry Posner surveyed thousands of people globally, and performed over 400 written case studies, identifying characteristics most desired in a leader. In virtually every survey, honesty or integrity was identified more frequently than any other trait.1 What this shows is what you know, and what you desire: If you are going to follow someone, you want assurance that you can trust leader; you want to be confident that he or she will keep promises and follow through with commitments. Jesus notes that integrity promotes. He said: If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. (Luke 16:10 NLT). It’s a principle of life: integrity promotes me. A great Example in the bible is Joseph (Genesis chapter 39) His integrity and competence enable him to overcome the conspiracies of his brothers to kill him, and later his boss’s wife to use him, then jail him; and he’s promoted to the top spot advising the King of Egypt. His integrity enabled him to enlist God’s help. And how many of you know that God can promote you better than anyone on this planet. Jesus said you’re the light of the world, and that God desires to position you to be seen by many, as a lamp on a stand. Integrity qualifies you for promotion. Get it, grow it, & God will display it!
Why develop Integrity? C. Integrity prospers me. King David confessed: I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. 1 Chronicles 29:17 His son, Solomon wrote that “The Lord hates people with twisted hearts, but He delights in those who have integrity.”
Proverbs 3:22 (NLT) that God can’t stand deceivers, but oh how he relishes integrity. Proverbs 11:20 God is pleased with, delights, relishes integrity –want to live with God’s blessing? Integrate the ethics and values of His Word/his son into your life. Integrity will prosper you spiritually with God’s approval and blessing; emotionally with a clear conscience and with confidence; integrity will prosper you physically with less stress; and relationally with greater trust and respect. Integrity prospers! [Example: The Prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 12:1-4)]
How I can build integrity? 1. Make Bible & Jesus my standard. The Bible asks: How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single-minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt. Psalm 119:11-13, (Msg) The bible is a roadmap to right living; a blueprint for storm-proof character and success.
The bible says: Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived. 1 John 2:6 (MSG) Jesus shows us what it looks like to live an upright, integrated life. He’s the best example in history. It makes sense to study and follow his example. He said: These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. (The Message) Jesus’ teaching = foundational words; words to build your faith, life, & character on; words to build your dating, marriage & family on; words to build your spending habits, financial planning, your work ethic on. That’s foundational integrity: Making God’s blueprint my benchmark, and God’s son (rather than my comfort, convenience, pleasure, or stuff) my standard. The writer to the Hebrews urges usL “Let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect.” Hebrews 12:1-2a (NCV)
TIPS: Study Jesus’ character & values Watch what you watch, cause you become what you behold. Make the bible and Jesus example your standard; become intimately acquainted with his example in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).
How I can build integrity? 2. Inspect & correct my character flaws –and we all have ‘em. The bible is right: all of us fall short of God’s glorious standard. We need to discover where, and how much we fall short; our integrity, prosperity, protection, and promotion in life depend largely upon that. Dr. Henry Cloud in his book on Integrity writes: “who a person is will ultimately determine if their brains, talents, competencies, energy, effort, deal-making abilities and opportunities will succeed… while you don’t need all the gifts that exist in the world, you do need all the aspects of character while you are putting your gifts to work. (p. 8, 33)
We can indulge
Here’s where an honest, intimate relationship with God comes in: God IS integrity; God is completely consistent, and if you’ll commit your heart to Jesus’ leadership --open yourself to God, to His word –the bible, and to godly mentors and peers-- God will clearly, gently reveal your flaws through his Spirit using your conscience, and challenge you to change –become more like Jesus. One of the most powerful requests you can make to God is this one by King David: “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me;Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—then guide me on the road to eternal life.” (Psalm 139:23-24 Msg) Moses warned the nation of Israel: “Your sins will find you out” (Numbers 32:23, NIV) Your character flaws will be exposed, your building materials inspected (to use St. Paul’s analogy). Your only choice is how and where. You can develop a discipline of coming clean, or wait for life, or the enemy of your soul –Satan- to expose your flaws. God’s way? Come clean to God, to someone in your small group; get on the hook with another Christ-follower who loves you enough to ask you tough questions. God will use his truth and his people to help you gain greater integrity –wholeness of faith and practice. It sure beats the alternative of concealing and pretending; of hypocrisy and guilt.
TIPS: Bible Study, Small Group, Accountability partner
How I can build integrity? 3. Always tell the truth When you live with integrity, you are open and honest. Your life is uncomplicated and less stressful, simpler. Simply let your ’Yes’ be ’Yes,’ and your ’No,’ ’No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37 (NIV)
King Solomo warns: “Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip.” Proverbs 4:24 (MSG) Willard Harley identifies 4 types of liars: protector liars, avoid conflict liars, look good liars, and pathological liars (Harley: Love Busters), and identifies dishonesty as a major “love buster” in marriages. There are many ways we lie: Can you shout out a few? (we gloss over, we omit, we embellish, we promise too much/too soon; we spin, we distort). When you talk out of both sides of your mouth, it obscures God to others and repels others from you. So talk truth, not trash.
How I can build integrity? 4. Do what I say Integrity means you stick to your personal code of conduct. You stick to what you decide is right and wrong. You execute; walk your talk; follow-through. You’ve heard that timeless piece of advice: say what you mean and mean what you say, or “walk your talk?” Be doers -and not just hearer’s- of God’s truth found in the Scriptures, particularly the gospels. Listen to these comments by the apostle Paul: “Our responsibility is never to oppose the truth, but to stand for the truth at all times.” 92 Corinthians 13:8, NLT). Doing what you believe to be true or right is standing for truth in the most basic way, isn’t it? True to yourself, your ethics, and –if based upon God’s revealed standards of right & wrong- true to your God! How can we “stand for truth? Listen to the way the Amplified translation advises us: ..let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Ephesians 4:15 (Amplified translation). Communicate clearly, follow-up consistently: that’s a sure-fire way of developing integrity.
Tip: Keep my commitments. Honor your word, finish what you start, show up! Listen to what James says: “put out of your life every evil thing and every kind of wrong. Then in gentleness accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts, which can save you. Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.” James 1:21-22 (NCV) Have you been fooling yourself about having integrity? Have you gotten into a rut of not practicing what you preach? Do you sense a need for greater consistency between what you say and what you do? Then it’s time to invite God to empower and guide you to develop greater ingegrity.
I invite you pray something like this. “Jesus, I want to be a person of integrity --to please You, to influence others for good. I desire the blessing of integrity in my own life. But I need Your help and power to do the right thing. Show me where I lack integrity; where I’ve compromised your truth; where I don’t act like Jesus. Forgive me to the ways in which I’ve not been true, spoken truth, or acted in line with my beliefs or been hypocritical. Thank you that, In Christ, I am forgiven. Help me to find a daily time to allow you to search my heart and point out the hypocrisy I allow. Give me the strength and conviction to always tell the truth, and to do what I say. Jesus, I invite you to reproduce your character and integrity in me; I open my heart to you, and your radical make-over of it. Thank you for making me into the person you want me to become. In Your name I pray, Jesus. Amen.”
NOTES:
1. Kouzes, James M., and Posner, Barry Z. Credibility: How leaders gain and lose it, why people demand it (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993), 14.)
Kevin McCarthy
www.umatter2god.com
