“The righteous man
walks in his integrity; His
children are blessed after him.”—Proverbs
20:7
The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus teaching him how to live his life, “in all things showing yourself to be a
pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility” (Titus 2:7). God wants us to increasingly pursue
truthfulness, righteousness, and honesty.
The following are some ways to develop and maintain a lifestyle of integrity:
Formulate beliefs on the
basis of Scripture. Build your life on the
foundational truths of humanities’ need for a Savior, our helplessness to save
ourselves, Christ’s death on our behalf, salvation by faith alone, and the
Father’s free gift of eternal life. Our
identity and priorities flow out from our position as God’s children. Align your thinking with the Bible and refuse
to compromise.
Submit to Christ’s lordship. Jesus commands us to deny ourselves and
follow Him. “…Whoever desires to come
after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mark
8:34). Wholehearted commitment to
Him will help us to stand against temptations and choose righteousness.
Build relationships with
individuals who value godly living. The
influence of mature Christians strengthens us in our dedication and obedience
to the lord.
Acknowledge our
mistakes. Everyone misses the mark
at times. As believers, we are to
confess any known sin to God and turn away from wrong behavior, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John
1:9). There may be times when we
need to ask forgiveness of others. Walking
in humility towards God and others enables us to fulfill the law of love—to love
others as we do ourselves.
We live in a culture that approves of ungodly
values and behaviors. Because God understands
our struggle to resist temptation and choose righteousness, He has sent His
Holy Spirit to teach us how to live with integrity.
Prayer—Father
I ask You to help me live a life of integrity.
When I am tempted to deviate from your path of truth I ask that the Holy
Spirit be my moral compass and direct my footsteps back to your pathway of
righteousness and love, in Jesus Name. Amen.
