Living With Integrity

“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” Psalm 101:1-2

The Cambridge Dictionary describes integrity as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. People with integrity do what is right even behind closed doors. They demonstrate reliability and trustworthiness. When unexpected obstacles come in their path, they show patience and flexibility.

It’s easy for us to take ownership when we do something well, but when we miss the mark or face a failure, our integrity is tested. Do we own up to the mistake, learn a lesson from it and go on with our life? What about when a grocery clerk gives you too much change or misses charging you for an item? These may be events that no one else knows about, but the Lord sees and how we react is a test of our integrity.

In this Psalm, David is expressing his definition of a person of integrity as behaving himself wisely in a perfect way; and walking within his house with a perfect heart.

I found the following list of the seven most common traits of a person of integrity.

(https://www.betterup.com/blog/integrity-in-the-workplace#seven-traits)

1. Expressing gratitude for others
2. Valuing honesty and openness
3. Taking responsibility and accountability for your actions, good and bad
4. Respecting yourself and others around you no matter where you are
5. Helping those in need without sacrificing your own health
6. Demonstrating reliability and trustworthiness
7. Showing patience and flexibility, even when unexpected obstacles show up.

David was human, and as such he made mistakes, just like all of us do. But his heart was tender, and as he realized his errors, he repented and made them right. That was why God heard his prayers and blessed him. He demonstrated integrity.  We can learn so much from his life and the lessons he learned. The lives we live in our homes will show in our actions on the street.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we come to you with all our faults and failures, knowing that you love us just as much as you loved David. We ask that You give us the grace and the wisdom to walk in our house and wherever we are with a perfect heart before You.

Devotion by Anne Johnston