Key Words: Integrity
We are told in Proverbs 20:7 that, “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.” If our children are to be blessed, we must be parents of integrity. The word integrity comes from the root word integer, which means “whole.” Let me explain. As parents, we cannot pick and choose an area where we will be honest. We must be honest and truthful in all areas of life, even if it hurts. We must have character, not just in some areas but in every area of our life. Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. used to say, “Character is what you do in the dark when no one else is looking.” Let me explain further. How many times has your child answered the phone, and it was for you; but you did not want to talk so you told your child, “Tell them I’m not here.”? That is a lack of integrity, and it is teaching your children to have no integrity. Have you ever covered for your children not doing their homework or written an excuse for an absence which was not totally truthful? That is lacking integrity. Partial honesty or partial integrity is no honesty or integrity.
A man in Long Beach, California, went into a chicken franchise to buy lunch for himself and the lady with him. He took his order of chicken and drove to a nearby park for a picnic. When he opened the box of chicken, he was surprised to find money instead of chicken. As a safety precaution, the manager kept the earnings in a chicken box in case of a robbery; but he inadvertently handed the man the wrong box. The man quickly returned his picnic basket full of cash to the store manager. Needless to say, the manager was elated. He was so elated that he proclaimed this man to be “the most honest guy in town.” The store manager wanted to call the local newspaper and have the story, along with the man’s picture, published for everyone to see. The man protested such an idea. The manager pressed him for a reason for his protesting. Finally, the man proclaimed, “You see, I am married, and the woman I am with is not my wife.”
Now I ask you, do you think the man was honest? Partial honesty is no honesty at all.
Integrity is a holiness that directs every area of our lives. “The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.”
What to do:
✞ Practice integrity in your daily life.
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