Serious About Integrity Series

The Path to Integrity

Psalm 119:1-8

January 21, 2024

What do people like - - - -

Matt Lauer Ellen Degeneres Bernie Madoff

Bill Cosby Harvey Weinstein Lance Armstrong

Milli Vanilli OJ Simpson Roseanne R Kelly

When you read those names, what comes to mind? I'm guessing it's not their accomplishments. Instead, it's probably that their reputations all took a serious hit for various reasons.

In many respects, your reputation is the only thing you can take with you throughout your life, and maintaining integrity allows you to cultivate and build that reputation. It also opens the door for you to talk about your faith. Who wants to talk to someone who lacks integrity and a good character? Not me!

Yet, it seems far too many people are willing to sacrifice their integrity for a quick shot of success. Cheating your character, your integrity, often times comes back to bite you in the end.

If you’re a baseball fan, I can ask you what do

Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmiero all have in common.

Those are sure fire hall of famers who sacrificed the hall of fame because of a lack of integrity . . . they took steroids. Add Pete Rose to the list for gambling.

Your character is what people will remember about you. Your accomplishments may be vaguely remembered, but when someone hears your name, they’ll remember your character. Ultimately, perception is reality. If someone thinks something about you, then that’s their reality.

You could be the smartest employee, but if you give the impression you’re not, then that’s the reality. Or it could be the opposite, if you’re not the smartest, you may give the impression you are. It’s true in all of life.

We come across lots of people who fall into these categories. As a result, their character takes a huge hit. We may even question whether they genuinely deserved our admiration.

Their legacies are associated with shame and distrust. And that's largely because they chose to sacrifice their integrity and reputation.

Let me give you an example that occurred last weekend. The Houston Texans beat the Cleveland Browns in a NFL playoff game. After the game NBC interviewed the QB, C.J. Stroud and this is what he said . . .

VIDEO from youtube

That’s cool! I love that. Stroud is very vocal about his faith. He often starts interviews by giving thanks to Jesus. Yet, when NBC posted that video on social media, they cut out his comments about Jesus.

Does that change your view of NBC? They’re integrity took a huge hit. All to be what some would say is politically correct, yet many believe if he praised a different god, those comments would have been played. We really don’t know.

This is what happens with integrity and character.

What about you? What are you willing to sacrifice for success? Would you be willing to sacrifice your character in order to be successful in school? Would you cheat or lie? Would you be willing to sacrifice your career so you could get ahead, maybe get a better job by lying?

Do you remember when Notre Dame hired George O’Leary as head football coach in 2001?

Five days after he was hired, he was fired because he lied on his resume. He said he earned 3 varsity letters in football at the University of New Hampshire. But he never played football there. He also said he earned a Masters Degree at "Stony Brook University," which is a non-existent college. He claimed the inaccuracies were due to “resume padding.” Integrity counts.

Our series is asking the question . . . . ARE YOU SERIOUS ABOUT GOD? If you are, then you should be conscious of your integrity. You should want to honor God by the way you live. If you’re a new creation in Christ, then we should be living our lives a certain way.

So, as we look at integrity --- the question is if we’re really serious about God, then we should seek to be people of integrity, even if that means sacrifice.

We’re giong to look at the first 8 verses of Psalm 119. Let’s see what the psalmist says — —

1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the LAW of the LORD

2 Blessed are those who keep His TESTIMONIES, who seek Him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong, but walk in HIS WAYS!

4 You have COMMANDED your PRECEPTS to be kept diligently.

5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your STATUTES!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your COMMANDMENTS.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your RIGHTEOUS RULES.