What Do They See In You?

Do people come to you for answers?

Do they trust your judgment?

Do people rely on your honesty?

Do they trust you with their secrets?

Do people ask you to pray for their private, intimate concerns?

Why? or Why not?

We tend to open up to people we can trust. But what is it about a person that causes us to trust them? If we were to stop and answer this question about each person that has gained our trust, the ones we know we can rely on, I believe we would come to the conclusion that they have something that sets them apart from others. There's something obvious in their life, something that's not so common these days. That "something" is called integrity.

Integrity means keeping your word, being faithful to your commitments, doing an honest days work, not doing in the dark what you would never be caught doing in the light. It's being loyal, trustworthy, and faithful. It means being true to the Lord, yourself and honest with others, being genuine, authentic and real. How do you measure Up?

A man of integrity stands up for what is right, no matter the consequence. He lives it out in his life every moment of every day. It's who is, not what he does. He is not swayed by his emotions or feelings, nor by political correctness or personal gain, he doesn't change his mind because of other peoples feelings, thoughts or opinions. He lives by a high moral standard and doesn't deviate from it. Honesty and righteousness are paramount in his thoughts and conduct, but always tempered with love.

Sound impossible? It is when you try and be a man of integrity in your own strength, you will soon let your gaurd down and falter. Jesus provides the path to integrity; He will work out integrity in your life if you allow Him to have full control.

Luke 9:23 says, "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me'."

We should expect normally, following Jesus would make us better husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, sons, daughters and so on. The disciple must follow Jesus even to the place of taking up his cross; when a person took up a cross in Jesus' day, it was for one reason only- that was to die, for the cross made no negotiations, no compromises, no deals. There was no looking back when you took up your cross, and your only hope was in a resurrected life.

Matthew 10:38,39 says, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it."

Your "cross" isn't really your particular trial or trouble; the cross means one thing, death to self, death to the flesh. the follower of Jesus lives in a paradox; he can only find life by losing it, and he can only live by dying; resurrection life can only come after we've taken up our cross to follow Jesus.

Isaiah the prophet wrote in chapter 33:15,16 "He who walks righteously, and speaks uprightly, He who rejects unjust gain.... He will dewll on high, his place of defense will be the fortress of rock."

God promises nothing but good to a man who lives a life of integrity. But how will you know if you are walking righteously and speaking uprightly? What is your standard? Read your Bible, let that be your standard. It will tell you what righteousness is. God's Word will help you identify and maintain integrity in your life. When you chose to follow Christ instead of your own path you can't help but change into the person God created you to be, others will recognize it, and hold you in high regard because of it. And, in that God will be glorified.


God Bless and Press On
Larry