The remaining three that build integrity.

Here are five things that build integrity:

·        Consistent obedience to known biblical truth

·        Making my private life consistent with my public life

·        Making a practice of being faithful in little

·        Daily looking in the mirror and taking personal responsibility for failures

·        Being humble and learning from mistakes

 

Here are the remaining three. 

 

Making a practice of being faithful in little

 

Luke 16:10 (KJV) He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. [11] If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? [12] And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

Integrity doesn’t magically appear the moment someone makes it big but rather it is painstakingly built in the halls of obscurity in one’s life. If I value my reputation enough to act honestly with another person’s dollar, then when I am entrusted with their $100.00 then my integrity will maintain the same responsibility. We have all heard “practice makes perfect.” The more we practice the more we develop. The stronger we develop ourselves in the small things the stronger we become in resisting the temptations that increase in the big things. In other words, my strength of character must increase to withstand the growing intensity of temptation that assails increased responsibility. 

 

Daily looking in the mirror and taking personal responsibility for failures

 

Many times people will create their own misery and then blame everyone else. It’s like creating your own storm and complaining because it rains. When a person matures it means they are accepting responsibility. Excuses are shields put up to deflect personal responsibility. As long as I blame everyone else for my failures, there will be no opportunity for me to change. Maturity requires change and correction is the means to facilitate it. The moment I take responsibility for my behavior is the moment my life begins to change.

 

Being humble and learning from mistakes

 

Acknowledging that I made a mistake is the first step but then I need to learn from it. Humility realizes its own imperfection and inability. In other words, humility is taking a sane view of oneself while pride is taking an insane view of oneself. Pride exaggerates the person’s ability and focuses on self-dependence but humility realizes its own inefficiency and focuses on God for continued dependence.  Whatever I focus on for strength becomes my source. When self is the focus then my strength becomes finite and very limited in dealing with the issues of life. However, when I focus on Christ as my source then my strength become infinite and unlimited. God can correct us through an inner witness, a person, His Word, and circumstances, to name a few. Being humble means I yield to the correction and permit his hand to form and stretch me into being more like Jesus.