Day 9: Integrity

Psalms 78:72: (KJV) “So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”

There are few words as powerful as “integrity.” The dictionary defines the word as: “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values: incorruptibility; an unimpaired condition: soundness; the quality or state of being complete or undivided: completeness.” Its synonym is honesty. I may be biased, but I believe the military has many people who possess this virtue in abundance. During one general quarters drill, a sailor froze in place while massive hangar bay doors were closing. My chief responded quickly. She jumped to the sailor’s aid and pushed him out of the way, saving him from injury if not the loss of his life. When I heard about her actions, I was not surprised. She is a person of integrity. I knew from working with her that her thoughts were, first and foremost, of the sailor and not her own safety. This is extremely important to a chaplain, because in combat situations my chief and other religious program specialists like her are responsible for protecting chaplains. We are noncombatants.

This quality more than any other defines our God and his responsibility for our lives. The psalmist knows well this God of integrity and knew he could depend on Him for daily sustenance. The psalmist also knew that God had given him the ability to do all that was required. Our plea:

A heart of integrity, O Lord, is one thing I most need,
Its benefits will free me from selfishness, malice, and greed.
I cannot create integrity or grant it, it’s simply not mine to give,
Only your spirit can produce this virtue in the life that I now live.

Questions to Consider:

• Can you name people you encounter each day who have integrity?
• What does it mean to be a person of integrity?
• How does one become a person of integrity?

Reflection for the Day:

• Rejoice in serving a God who is full of integrity. Commit to becoming more like him.