Billy Graham once described integrity as “the glue that holds our way of life together. We must constantly strive to keep our integrity intact. When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”
Why is integrity so important?
Graham emphasises the importance of integrity and links it closely with “character”. So why is your integrity so important?
After surveying thousands of people around the world and performing more than 400 written case studies, James Kouzes and Barry Posner identified those characteristics most desired in a leader. In virtually every survey, honesty or integrity was identified more frequently than any other trait.1
That makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? If you are going to follow someone, whether into battle, in business, in ministry or in your finances, you want assurance that they can be trusted. You want to know that he or she will keep promises and follow through with commitments.
Finance is an area where our integrity is most often tested. Whether it is receiving too much change at the store and deciding whether to return it, claiming more expenses on your tax return than you should, making personal calls on your employer’s phone or travelling on public transport without a valid ticket, we are all constantly required to make the right choice. We are required to do what is right over and over and over again.
What is integrity?
Integrity means treating people fairly and honestly, not ripping them off or misleading them (Leviticus 19:35-36, Deut 25:15, Proverbs 16:11-13). Integrity is giving your word and keeping it (Exodus 8:28-32).
Integrity’s reward
Living a life of integrity will protect you (Proverbs 2:7-8), it will help you walk safely (Proverbs 10:9), and it will guide you (Proverbs 11:3, 13:6). It is more valuable than riches (Proverbs 28:6).
Whilst acting with integrity helps, guides and protects you, it has other rewards as well. Solomon experienced this first hand when God appeared to him for a second time after he had finished building the Temple of the Lord and the royal palace. The Lord stated to Solomon, “if you will follow me with integrity and godliness, as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty over Israel forever.” That is a great reward for acting with integrity.
What happens if we don’t act with integrity?
However there is the flip side as well. When we don’t act with integrity we suffer the consequences. Whether on a personal level, in an employment situation or at a corporate level, acting dishonestly leads to a lack of trust and respect and damages relationships.
When we lose trust it costs us all. Take shop lifting for example. Because of the prolific nature of shop lifting retail outlets need to implement a broad range of security measures including security cameras, one way gates, scanners and employing additional staff to reduce the amount of steeling. These measures cost the retailers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. The cost of these additional security measures along with the cost of the items that are stolen are passed onto us, the consumer, in higher prices.
On a personal level we can choose the path of integrity and be rewarded. Take Mary for example. She was being paid more than what she was contracted to be paid. She spoke to her manager and human resources department on several occasions to address the issue but for some reason the issue was not rectified after several months. Eventually her manager requested that the increased pay level be ratified because her high standard of work and the integrity Mary displayed in dealing with the over payment.
You may not always see the material result of making the right choices as Mary did but you can act with integrity knowing that you are developing trust, respect and relationship with others and that you can be an example for others to follow.
If you realise you have made wrong choices in the past, repent (be sorry and commit to not making the same wrong decision again) and use the experience to help you make the right choices of integrity in the future.