Integrity
On my mind lately is the idea of what we do when nobody’s
looking. Now I’m not talking picking
your nose or dancing like a crazy person to your favorite song…but rather, the
person you are when the world isn’t watching.
We all have our morals, our beliefs, and our convictions; all of which
are typically simple to follow when we have an audience. I mean really, who wants to look bad in front
of someone else? However, it can be pretty easy to step outside the lines when
nobody’s there to call you out. So maybe
you already exercise what you preach, but if I were to guess, I’d say all of us
have our moments where our selfish, humanly side takes the driver’s seat.
The truth:
There’s always an audience of one.
Not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as
servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart Ephesians 6:6
Living on earth, it’s easy to assume that nobody
sees the things we do it secret; but it’s foolish to draw this conclusion. You can’t hide it from God—and his opinion is
the only one that really matters anyway.
(For reference, Jonah is a perfect example of this.)
The truth: True
character is what you do when nobody’s looking.
Be careful not to do your ‘acts of
righteousness’ in front of others, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have
no reward from your Father in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the
needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have
received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that
your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you. Matthew
6:1-4
So
sure, you may not get all the “credit” you desire for doing what’s right when
nobody’s watching on earth; but I think that comes along with the territory of
being a person of character. We’re not
always going to get rewarded for the things we do when nobody’s watching, but
God sees and He will reward you in
Heaven. When we do what is right simply because it’s right, God does not let
that go un-noticed!
The truth:
Everything you claim to be is meaningless if there’s an “on” and “off” switch.
Therefore,
knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to
God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 2 Corinthians 5:11
Whoever walks
in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found
out. Proverbs 10:9
The integrity
of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys
them. Proverbs 11:3
Honestly,
what’s the point in putting on a show?
Imagine judgment day…do you think God’s going to be there stating, “Wow,
you did a great job living a righteous life when everyone was watching. Forget about the times in secret where you
fell short, because you sure impressed everyone!” Yeah, I’m gonna guess it won’t go like that. Being
righteous and integrity-filled is all about how you live your life despite the
presence or absence of an audience. When
it’s all said and done, your character and integrity is only between you and
God, and the “ideal model” you’ve created for the world to see is
irrelevant.
So
think about it, do you act the same way when nobody’s looking? Are your intentions to impress others, or do
the right thing?
He who
is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is
unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Luke 16:10
Until next time…
-Tamara
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