Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. Proverbs 10:9 (ESV)
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. Luke 6:31 (ESV)
Integrity definition: The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.
This word encompasses one of my favorite core virtues and values that a person should possess. In all relationships I hope to form, whether it be romantic, business, friends, family members, and church family members, I seek out individuals who possess integrity. I pray that all of us will seek to be a person of integrity and will look to associate with others who embody this quality.
People with integrity are generally known to be trustworthy, honest, and kind. I read an article where it was stated that integrity lays the foundation, as well as being fundamental, for all other virtues. Let’s take a moment to break down some of the main components that make up integrity.
Humility: The virtue of humility encompasses people who are humble and not haughty. They tend to not be arrogant nor think too highly of themselves.
Joyful spirit: These are individuals who seek to enrich the lives of those they meet, without seeking anything in return. They look forward to helping better other people’s lives and are not so consumed, with just bettering themselves.
Authentic: They seek to show their true selves, in all situations. They do not live in a manipulative/ lying atmosphere. You know who they really are, and what they really stand for.
Kind: When you encounter them, they are considerate individuals. They have problems just like everyone but ultimately, they look to always exhibit kindness and patience towards others. From time to time, they too will run out of patience in dealing with various situations and people however, it is not the norm for them to be impatient, arrogant, and rude, on a consistent basis.
Lying: They are not known, liars. They do not look to tell big, intricate, or even small, insignificant lies. For them, lying, whether big or small, is wrong on all levels.
Trustworthy: They stick to what they said they would do, as much as possible. They try to do everything to complete agreed-upon deadlines and schedules. Also, in being trustworthy, they own up to their errors. If they know they did something wrong, they’re not going to try and pin it on someone else or blame others for the cause of their mistakes. They own up to whatever shortcomings they have and look to try to rectify the situation.
Even-tempered: They do not have violent outbursts and tempers on a regular basis. There may be times of being very upset and angry but, that is not their true nature, nor their way of handling themselves. It’s a rarity to see them very angry and having violent outbursts.
In describing integrity, of course, it sounds like the perfect person. However, all of us are sinners saved by the grace of God through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. What I am suggesting, is that all of us strive to embody the qualities of integrity and seek to always increase these qualities in our lives. All should strive to have integrity be a part of their core character. We all should long to have these character traits become intricately a part of who we are, and how we operate in society.
As you go about living your life, strive to be a person with high integrity. Strive to be humble, trustworthy, and kind, to everyone that you meet.
Blessings,
Angélique
To contact: Angelique@21stcenturygodlyliving.com
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