Doing the Right Thing, Having Integrity by Nina Keegan- Owens

Recently while I was in the grocery store parking lot, I was witness to a horrible onslaught of obsenities a young couple was hurling at a woman they believed had taken their coveted parking spot. They were relentless in their hostility and rage. The woman seemed oblivious to what was going on, she appeared to not even realize that she may have taken the parking spot they had wanted. When she finally realized the mean banter was aimed at her she looked scared and rushed into the store. It was a beautiful day and the parking lot was not particularly full. The couple was well able to walk yet they spent several minutes harrassing a woman that had no idea of the brawl she had caused. What good did any of this do? The couple wasted more time feuding than parking elsewhere! Why can't we stay calm, be still, and give people the benefit of the doubt? The woman's actions were clearly unintentional. She may have just had a lot on her mind. We never know what issues people are facing each day. Had the couple kept calm and moved on to a different spot, I guarantee they would have had a much better day with maybe a few unexpected blessings thrown in for good measure. What if situations like that are all a test, one we need to pass to be blessed?

Do you ever struggle with trying to do the right thing? You may be facing one of those tough times where you know what the right thing to do is but you may be waivering in your decision and your choices to follow through with your actions. Sometimes the hardest things are the right things. There is no easy way out of our messes, many times God allows us to have trials, like a checks and balances system to measure our integrity, to make sure we will listen to Him and do what's right. Sure God can turn your mess into a message and your trials into triumphs, but we are always looking for instant gratification and don't want to wait out our trials. For many people, if there is an easy way out, they will take it and lose themselves in the process. We may think that we got away with something or that our misgivings will go unoticed just this once, but that is never the case, I believe God will just keep giving you the same test, just different scenerios over and over again until we finally pass and are able to move on to the next grade.

We are often presented with opportunities where by we are challenged to do the right thing even when we so want to buck the system and do what's easier or what's seemingly more beneficial at the time. Those so called instant gratifications, and benefits that may result from not doing the right thing will most assuredly come back to haunt you later and cost you precious blessings from God. Doing the right thing will ALWAYS keep you on the right path causing you to reap what you sow!! God will bless you when you take the high road! You get what you give, it's pure karma at it's best. When you operate your life with the highest standards of morals and integrity, you will triumph and set an example that will cause an avalanche of blessings for you and set an amazing example for those around you and those that look up to you!

Proverbs10:9 says whoever walks in integrity, walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out!
God knows each and every time that you are faced with a will I or wont I question. He also knows how hard it is for us to keep our cool and our tempers in check. The heavenly rewards we store up every time we serve God instead of our emotions is imeasurable.

Integrity, what is it exactly? It's an unequaled quality of being honest, having sound moral principles, a strong code of ethics and a lack of corruption. It's the opposite of hypocracy, It's not following the crowd, but going against the grain and doing the right thing even if it hurts or even when everyone else is doing the wrong thing. It's never compromising one's values and beliefs. Having Integrity means that your moral standards are so high, that one would never question your charactor. It means we should live our lives in a way by which someone could talk bad about us and nobody would believe it. Integrity means you play by the rules, you are fair and equal, and you do not conform to this world if it will cause you to compromise yourself or your faith. Integrity means you are true to yourself and to the Lord and never waiver in those truths reguardless of gain or loss and that there is no discrepancy in your beliefs. It simply means keeping a commitment even after our circumstances have changed.

Not allowing ourselves to get angry and lose our tempers over every little thing, forgiving others first even when we feel it was not our fault, these are all examples of integrity. Not obeying rules and laws, not working an honest days work and leaving early or handling personal affairs on the computer during company time, is an example of a lack of integrity we may all be guilty of. Letting God handle your battles and staying out of petty scuffles. Keeping your word on promises you've made, can all help us grow in charactor. We can build our integrity by defeating the temptation to be dishonest.
We can either stand for something or fall for everything.
Trust your Gut, your inner voice, the Holy Spirit and pay close attention to the small still whispers deep inside you that is God guiding you and keeping you from compromising your integrity. It's Him saying "let it go and follow me"!

According to the scriptures, virtually everything that truly qualifies a person for good leadership, is built on integrity and charactor. I challenge you today to do the right thing when faced with a fork in the road, to always take the high road, the road leading straight to the blessings of God.

Proverbs 2:6-8
For the Lord gives wisdom, from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up wisdom for the upright; He is a sheild to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints.

Heavenly Father, please help us to live and walk in integrity, displaying your light through ourselves everywhere we go. Help us to be an example of what it means to be a christian. We thank you for all our many blessings. In Jesus name we pray!
Amen

"Few things are more infectious than a Godly lifestyle"!
Chuck swindoll