Integrity - Living and working with honesty and alignment with your faith
Living and working with integrity
"You've got to dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth".
The quote is attributed to the renowned author and speaker William Watson Purkey. But why start a blog that connects integrity in life, work, and faith with a quote, not from the Word of God?
Firstly, I believe the foundation of the quote is in the Bible. Let me mention two verses that support this:
Psalm 149:3 states, "Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp."
Ephesians 4:32 says, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Secondly, writing about integrity is a sensitive topic. My insights come from personal experiences and understanding rather than from a position of knowing everything or having it all figured out. Each situation I discuss is informed by my failures rather than a history of always doing things correctly.
Integrity means...
In my quest to gain a deeper understanding of integrity, I have spent the last month asking people what integrity means to them. I was surprised by their honesty. I felt humbled by my shortcomings and encouraged by the Word of God as I realised that the fundamental principles people seek align with those established in His teachings.
According to Definitions from Oxford Languages. Integrity means "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles."
According to an 11-year-old, it means: "Do not promise me something and not do it." Matthew 5:37 states, "All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."
A 17-year-old says, "Please don't tell me what not to do if you don't follow the same principles." 1 John 3:18 says, "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
An employee of a relatively big company says: "I can't keep working overtime and neglecting my kids, even if I feel I need the extra income to support my family." Ephesians 6:4 states, "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
An employer says, "I expect that when I pay my employees to work, they should not be on social media at work but accomplish the tasks at hand." 1 Thessalonians 4 reads, "Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
King Solomon says in Proverbs 10:9, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out."
I was taught that integrity is doing the right thing even when nobody is watching. James 4:17 states, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."
Perfectionism and people-pleasing
When it comes to integrity, it is easy to fall into the trap of performance and people-pleasing. Integrity has nothing to do with either of them.
In her book, "Living Your Prophetic Life", Cathi Mole writes, "Our commission is to go into all the world and preach the gospel. It means living with a heightened sense of responsibility because every single believer falls into the category of the called-out ones. We are meant to go. As you go about your daily life, expect to bring good news and be an instrument in His hands."
This heightened sense of responsibility is towards the people around us and how we can make them feel loved. Our actions significantly impact how people perceive us and define whether they can trust us. When we do not take responsibility for our actions, we create distrust.
Broken Trust
The Lausanne Movement's State of the Great Commission Report highlights a decline in trust in religious institutions and leaders. Reading this broke my heart, but it also made me ask: What am I doing that contributes to people not trusting the church or the followers of Jesus?
I posed this question to our home church of students, professionals and entrepreneurs. This ended in a heated debate as we quickly got sidetracked as our focus shifted to other people's wrongdoings they did not want to take responsibility for. The situation changed when we were reminded of Matthew 7:3: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
Some of us sensed the need for repentance because we realised we all do things that hinder others from trusting us. We are sometimes so focused on living a holy life, being filled with the Spirit, living in God's presence, and knowing the right words to say and prayers to pray. We listen to teachings and preachings, worship Him and receive forgiveness from God. But we forget the simple thing: Our actions speak louder than words.
Be Authentic
People want authenticity and things that are real. Authenticity has been one of the buzzwords on social media for the past three years. The world is crying out for sincerity and honesty. We carefully choose what we want to show the world on social media, ensuring it paints a good picture of us. That is okay. However, we need fellowships where we can show the complete picture of ourselves - both the good and the bad. Surround yourself with open and sincere people who will keep you accountable for growing according to the Word of God. People who are your cheerleaders and inspire you to live a holy life.
So, how do we build trust?
We often hear the saying, "Do not judge a book by its cover." This phrase warns us not to judge people based on their first impressions or appearance. In long-term relationships, we will know the truth about ourselves and those around us.
Authenticity requires us to be vulnerable about the things we don't always get right. This openness fosters compassion and helps people relate to us. It only happens when we take time to get to know each other.
One of my colleagues truly is a time optimist. We all are, in a way, because our to-do lists are always more than we can handle. In situations like this, things quickly get postponed even if we desire to do them, and we may be unable to fulfil our promises about finishing things. "I will do it tomorrow" can quickly become a phrase that means nothing, although it contains a promise. In East Africa, a saying states, "Whoever says "tomorrow" is a liar."
In a workplace, we are dependent on each other. Thus, we must be careful not to overpromise but only make commitments we can keep. We also need to show each other grace. In Tent, our safeguard is our 30-minute morning prayers together every day. Here, we unite, asking God for wisdom to prioritise what He deems essential daily. This one prayer has been answered over and over again. God always prioritises people before tasks, and He gives us compassion to understand, help each other, and complete tasks on due dates more often than not.
In the process, we have learned to trust each other and say sorry when something is not going as planned. We feel that we can tell when we struggle and need help or more time. We own up to mistakes. Because we all live this way, we inspire others to be honest and not hide behind excuses. We also trust each other enough to have tough conversations when we disappoint one another because of the culture of integrity.
His grace is enough
God's grace is enough for us when we fail, but it should not be used to lower our integrity bar. A company owner in South Asia was recently asked how his Christian employees performed compared to those who did not believe in Jesus. He did not need to think before he answered, "Generally, the Christians are my worst employees. They think they can get away with anything."
As followers of Jesus, we should be known for our good work, not for lack of quality or commitment. We should never compromise our integrity. We will need God's and other people's grace when we fail, but we must misuse it.
My last quote is from the book "Great to Good" by Jae Hoon Lee.
"Now, we can sometimes confuse ambition with God's vision. Even if we eagerly listen to God's Word, we can still live deceitfully. Impure desires may be hidden within our zeal. Let's not deceive ourselves. Let us seek God's help by honestly confronting ourselves and acknowledging our weakness and incompetence. God will surely grant us the wisdom of discernment."
Integrity matters. May God help us succeed in upholding our integrity so we can be good ambassadors for him and his kingdom in everything we do.
Prayer
God, we ask you to grant us the wisdom of discernment to know the difference between right and wrong in every situation. Let us be sensitive to your voice even when you highlight the small things we may overlook that compromise our integrity. Please help us to be your good ambassadors wherever we are, and provide us with the grace we need when we fail to represent you well.
Challenge
Ask yourself, "What am I doing that may compromise my integrity or hinder displaying who Jesus is?"
Written by Elizabeth Strauss