Integrity As A Part Of Your “Yes”–Your Yes For 2015: Day 7

Welcome to Day 7 of our “Your Yes for 2015” Adventure. If you’re joining us today for the first time, find the index of all of the days here.

Today, we’ll briefly examine the fourth “virtue” that goes into our “Yes to God”: integrity.

As a person of faith, you may think this one is a “no brainer” right? We’re Godly people, right? If we’ve said “Yes to Belief” (as we did again a few days ago) shouldn’t this be a given?

Sadly, for too many of us it’s not. It’s so easy in today’s world to take small shortcuts that may not even seem dishonest because “everyone else is doing it”. You know your life and your workplace better than I do, so you’ll need to ponder for yourself the small “shortcuts” you’re tempted to take each day. I certainly know mine.

A part of this fifteen day challenge is looking at those things head on, repenting of past moral infringements, and making the decision moving forward that we will be intentional in changing our behavior. Little things matter.

One Blueprint for Integrity:

I found the following quote from a portion of the information given to new United States Air Force recruits on the topic of integrity:

The Airman is a person of integrity, courage and conviction. Integrity is a character trait. It is the willingness to do what is right even when no one is looking. It is the moral compass, the inner voice, the voice of self-control and the basis for the trust imperative in today’s military. Integrity is the ability to hold together and properly regulate all of the elements of a personality. A person of integrity, for example, is capable of acting on conviction. A person of integrity can control impulses and appetites.

If this description captures your attention, you can read the full information here.

For today, I’m asking each of us to carefully consider how integrity will make a difference each of us in giving our full and worthy “Yes to God” this year.

‘We must be pure. I do not speak merely of the purity of the senses. We must observe great purity in our will, in our intentions, in all our actions.’ –St. Peter Julian Eymard

To Ponder:

What are some of the small challenges to your integrity that you face in your life and in your work?
How do compromises in your integrity distance you from God?
What proactive decisions about integrity will you make or commit to in 2015? Write them down or discuss them with your accountability partner.

Let Us Pray:

God, we come to you today with repentant hearts for the times we have been less than fully honest and pure. This year, we desire to give you our “Yes” with a greater conviction to be people of integrity. Arm us to recognize moments when our integrity will be challenged. Embolden us to meet these choices head on, with hearts and souls that are aimed at complete integrity. We are yours! Amen.