“In today’s society, integrity is something that is often noticed as being different than the status quo. Check out today’s message from Greg Laurie on the importance of living with integrity, no matter who is watching.”

I heard the story of a pastor who boarded a bus one morning, paid his fare, and took his seat. A few minutes later, he realized that the driver had given him too much change. Some people might have put it in their pocket and said, “Lord, thank You for Your provision.” But this pastor knew that would be wrong. At the next stop, he walked to the front of the bus with the extra change and said to the driver, “Excuse me, sir, you gave me too much change, and I wanted to return it to you because obviously you made a mistake.”

The driver said, “Pastor, I didn’t make a mistake. I was at your church last night and heard you preach on honesty. I wanted to see if you practiced what you preached.”

Fortunately, he did.

People are watching you as a Christian, virtually scrutinizing your every move. You should know they aren’t hoping you will be a godly witness. They are hoping you will slip up so they will have something on which to conveniently hang their doubts and unbelief.

Humorist Will Rogers said, “So live that you wouldn’t mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip.” That is the idea of integrity: having nothing in our lives to be ashamed of. This personal integrity is something we are developing on a daily basis with every thought we think and every action we take. We are either building up character or tearing it down.

What kind of character do you have? Who are you in private? For all practical purposes, that is the real you.

Digging Deeper: How has having integrity served you well in your relationships, profession, calling, or purpose? Has having a lack of integrity ever hurt you or others? Is there a change God wants you to make to live a more righteous life so you can shine more brightly for Him? According to Proverbs 11:28, what is one reward of living a righteous life? What does this reward mean to you?

*Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514.