Other scriptures: Proverbs 10:9, Zechariah 8:16, Proverbs 20:7, Proverbs 28:18
B. J. and I just finished taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace course. One of the things that he said, I had a hard time believing. He said that he had interviewed many of the richest, most successful people in the world and that they all had one thing in common. He interviewed their employees, friends, and neighbors as well and still came up with the same quality. Integrity - crazy amounts of integrity. I know that might not seem right. Sometimes all we see in the media are the Richard Scrushy's of society and think that is the norm. Apparently it is not.
I am not saying that if we will use integrity we will be rich, but what I am saying is that God desires for us to use integrity in all areas of our life. God has convicted me of this and as embarrassing as this is to tell I am going to because it has really opened my eyes to how serious God is about truth and integrity.
I am a coupon fanatic. If I do not have a coupon to eat out, we usually do not eat out. I use coupons everywhere and if I do not have one, I ask for one! Expiration dates on coupons annoy me. I have never understood them. Many stores will take their own coupons even if they are expired. They can do that because they own the coupon, but if an expired coupon is used at just any grocery store, the store is not reimbursed by the manufacturer. The store eats the cost. Well, I used to use expired coupons knowing they were expired. If the clerk checked them it was no big deal, but hopefully she would not and I would get my 50 cents off and move on. One day while leaving the grocery store, I knew I had used some coupons that were expired. I was justifying it to myself and God that we were trying to feed a family of four on essentially one income. I needed to use those coupons. Finally, I sensed the presence of God so clearly in my car say to me, "Is your integrity worth 50 cents?". I finally got it. I cried out in repentance, "No, it is worth more than all the money in the world!".
That experience, while it may sound legalistic to you really taught me that God expects us to be completely truthful and use integrity in all issues. I ask Him regularly to show me anywhere I am not being truthful - even truthful with him and with myself. He has shown me many areas where I needed to change. Praise God He is that concerned about me! He "desires truth in the inner parts" - the parts no one but you and God see.
2 Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." May He find us today fully committed to Him.
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