Integrity

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been thinking a lot about integrity. Specifically, I've been thinking about how the lack of personal integrity can have such a damaging effect on community.

Back in the early 1990's when I was just starting out in ministry, a good friend and long-time pastor gave me some advice that has helped to guide me throughout the years more than any other I've gotten. He said, "In the end, it won't matter if you were a great preacher, or a super administrator, or an excellent teacher, or an amazing leader. What will matter is if you were faithful, and if you had integrity." Now I readily admit that I often selfishly want to be a great preacher (or at least thought of as one), and that I often selfishly want to be a super administrator (or at least seen as one), and that I often selfishly want to be an excellent teacher (or at least respected as one), and that I often selfishly want to be an amazing leader (or at least considered to be one). But that advice from a trusted mentor rings in my head whenever that selfishness gets the better of me..."faithfulness and integrity".

Although there are often 3 main definitions given for the word integrity (from "strict adherence to a moral or ethical code", to "the state of being unimpaired", to "completeness"), to me personally, integrity simply means being genuine. If I proclaim with my mouth, then my actions need to proclaim the same message. What I preach from the pulpit needs to be lived out in my daily walk. There can be no seperation between what I say I'm about, and what I really am about. I need to be genuine. To me that's integrity. Am I pefect at that? Do I always get it right? Of course not. But is it a priority for me? Absolutely.

Over these last couple of weeks, a community that I am a part of has suffered greatly from what I believe to be a lack of integrity in one of its members. It has been a reminder to me of just how important integrity is, and just how damaging the lack of it can be to others, especially when we covenant together to be in community; when we commit to "life together". Although the damage is deep and painful, it has been a good reminder to me to look into the mirror and take stock of my life. Am I being faithful? Am I being genuine? Is there integrity?