Why Integrity Matters

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr said, “The time is always right to do the right thing.”

Integrity isn’t always the easiest thing to do, but it’s always the right thing to do. Integrity is like a wall that surrounds the various areas of our lives, keeping us safe from disaster.  

Don’t we all want this?

Of course, we do, and we know what to do; however, walking it out is another thing entirely. We see over and over again, leaders falling and in its wake, is the aftermath of pain, regret and upheaval. No matter the decision that was made, it’s never worth it and the payback is always too much to bear. 

But the truth is, we’re all susceptible to falling. Any of us are two steps away from ruining our lives, and making a mess of what we have and what we’re building. This is because, no matter our success or leadership gifts, we are prone to do wrong with what’s in our hearts. 

“And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

Mark‬ ‭7:20-23‬

Wow! This is humbling, as Jesus calls out what’s in our hearts. Without God, where would we be?

But this is one reason why, integrity matters. 

When we do the right thing, we are not only protected from disastrous decisions, but we also are letting God fill our hearts with what is right. This is something that is overlooked when it comes to integrity because it’s more than doing the right thing, it’s living the right way, from the inside out.

Integrity protects us from wrong. Integrity protects us from ourselves, and integrity protects us from others.

In fact, when we live with integrity, God sees it and protects us from what’s coming our way.

“Let God weigh me on the scales of justice, for he knows my integrity.”

Job‬ ‭31:6‬

Notice, when Job was going through his crisis, his integrity gave him confidence with God. This was because his Conscience was clean. 

This is a big deal for the health of our hearts, our minds and our faith. When our Conscience is clean, we are free to love others, and to lead others with a clean heart. There’s nothing lurking in the back of our minds, because there’s nothing to hide. 

When we live this way, we are free to lead, and most important, we’re free to connect with God. 

When we compromise and hide it, our conscience bothers us, and we are hindered from walking with God. This messes up every other aspect of our lives, because in the back of our minds, there is something that is not right. When this happens, leaders are compromised to lead and their judgment becomes skewed.

However, when we live with integrity, we are clean in our heart and in our mind, which empowers us to lead with confidence and strength. This is what is needed from leaders right now in our current climate.

So, is your Conscience clean?

If not, please go to God today and receive his forgiveness.

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

1 John‬ ‭1:9‬

After you receive God’s forgiveness, I encourage you to make it right with whomever is involved. Then, choose to have a person to keep you accountable, moving forward. This is big because bad company corrupts good character, but right company, encourages good character and helps us to do it. 

“Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

1 Corinthians 15:33

Being a leader is a privilege, and a responsibility, which is why we must be right with ourselves, so we will do right to others. 

It’s my belief, that integrity must be a pillar of our leadership principles. It has to be a part of who we are and of what we do. Having this in place will guide our decisions and helps us, when doing the right thing is hard. 

This is why integrity matters!

So today, move forward with a clean conscience, and be free to lead with integrity. When you do, not only what you have will be passed on to others, but who you are will be passed on too.

We impact the generations to come with our integrity, more than anything else. 

The time is always right to do the right thing.

God bless, and the best is yet to come,

PD