In our society today, integrity is challenged. Many people have a “get what you want by any means necessary” mentality; rationalizing that the END justifies the MEANS! Webster defines integrity as, “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.”
Will Rogers once said of integrity, “Live your life in such away you would not be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.”
The subject of integrity is addressed on the pages of the Bible. God told Solomon, “Now if you walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying , ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.” 1 Kings 9:4. Notice that integrity involves uprightness, obedient to God’s commands, and to keep His statutes and judgments. That is the Biblical definition of integrity.
Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. In Genesis 39:11-12, we have the example of Joseph: “But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.” Notice that no one was watching but Joseph did the right thing. Paul commended the Philippians in Phil. 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Even when the apostle was not present these folks did the right thing.
Integrity is doing the right thing when everyone is watching. The enemies of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, knew that their integrity would not allow them to bow before the image and their enemies used it against them. Notice the response they made to the king, “let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 3:17-18.
Integrity is maintaining your commitment even when your circumstances change. The word is used 5 times in Job. Look at the way Job responded to his wife in Job 2:9-10: “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”