5 Elements of Integrity and Why It Matters
Integrity has become “mission-critical.” Look at the national state of hyper-sensitivity to anything that looks, sounds, or smells like corruption. Integrity has become critical.
Daniel was in that position. His three political competitors tracked his every move. They did not succeed in finding one single complaint, error, or fault in his administration. A miracle.
Integrity is the currency of influence. Power and success are like paper money but integrity is the GOLD.
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1). Job, in the Old Testament, "had integrity."
What are the five elements of integrity he possessed?
The Fear Of God
This is the “nuclear fuel” in your integrity. If you have no inward fear (respect, honor) of God, you will make all your choices to please man…or yourself.
Job was the “complete package.” His whole life, family, money, career and motives were “upright.” More than that, he had the inner strength to turn away from temptation (like Joseph did with Potiphar’s wife).
Financial Integrity
The next thing mentioned about Job was about his finances: “the wealthiest man in the East.” The second part of integrity is how a person handles their money. Money gives you the quickest “readout” of integrity:
How you honestly handle large sums of money.
How you handle employees and treat them fairly.
How you share your blessings (generosity).
How you pay bills and handle financial stress and pressure.
All of these tell you about a person’s financial “integrity.”
Family
Job had “seven sons and three daughters.” We now see that his integrity extended into his family. When children see the same person at home as they see on the stage of life, that is integrity.
Job “covered” his family in prayer. He kept them together. He was the “priest” of his home, continually praying for his children to be God-fearing and honorable.
Friends
Job had three friends. They “stood by him for seven days in total silence.” Integrity is transparency to a close inner circle. Job’s three friends provided the accountability he needed during his greatest crisis.
Don’t do life alone. Get in a small group. Trust three other people with your life decisions and trials. It will guard your integrity.
Faithfulness
The last component of integrity is “structural integrity.” It’s what an airplane or a bridge has to have in order to pass through a storm or support the rush hour traffic.
Job “held fast to his integrity.” He didn’t collapse when everything in his life collapsed. If you will have integrity in the first four areas, you will be able to weather every storm and still have “integrity.”
Integrity doesn’t mean you won’t have crisis. It will sustain you through the crisis.
By the way…Job’s integrity brought him “twice as much as he had before.”
