It’s a principle that plays itself out over and over again. A lie is told. And then another lie is told to cover up the first lie. Then a third lie is told to cover up the first two lies. A fourth lie is told and so on and so forth. While telling the lies to cover up is bad enough, you have to remember all the lies that have been told so that the “story” stays consistent. And if it gets complicated enough you are worried that at any moment you are going to “slip up” and the truth will come out. It becomes stressful worrying and wondering if the truth can be suppressed.
It’s the same way with integrity. Once you do something that comprises your integrity, it then becomes easier to do it a second time, a third time and beyond. Then all of a sudden you become a chameleon. But a chameleon is always found out. Their reputation becomes known and seen in various environments.
They become known as a “Hypocrite” which means “two faced”. They can’t be trusted. As one of my close friends points out many times the cover up is worse than the crime. When there is a breach of honesty and integrity, come clean as soon as possible.
Sadly, it doesn’t take a huge breach of integrity to get the ball rolling. All it takes is one decision and the snowball takes off down the hill. And the more it gains momentum, the more times you breach your integrity, the harder it is to stop.
You can’t go very long without reading a story of a leader who loses their position because of lack of integrity. I’m sure we all know someone who has lost their marriage and their family because of they chose to breach their integrity. One decision leads to other decisions which lead down the path to changing not only their life , but the lives of others as well and years of work and success all lost because integrity was breached.
I don’t know where you are when it comes to your life of integrity. Maybe as your reading this you are struggling with a decision. Remember this: many times the path of least resistance is not the right path. Sometimes it takes courage to live a life of integrity.
Whatever you do don’t rationalize your integrity away. “I am going to work more even though I hardly get to spend time with my family because I am providing for them.”
“I am just going to look a little closer at her or get to know her a little better because my wife isn’t meeting my needs at home.” “It is a large company that is making millions of dollars and not paying me what I am worth. They will never miss the little bit that I am taking or the hours that I short them.” Scripture is very clear, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV). In other words, we are so good at rationalizing that we convince ourselves we are right. We feel we re so right that we breach our integrity and end up being incredibly wrong.
Joseph’s found success in living a life of integrity by never compromising his integrity to begin with. There were many times he could have rationalized breaking his integrity but he didn’t. He stayed true to his mission and ultimately stayed true to his integrity.
Millennia later, we are called to be men of integrity in every facet of our lives. Many times it won’t be easy, but like Joseph we are to live lives of integrity every day.
The greatest want of the world is the want of men—men who will not be bought or sold, men who in their inmost souls are true and honest, men who do not fear to call sin by its right name, men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole, men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall. (E. G White, Education 57)
Conversation:
- Where do you find yourself rationalizing away your integrity?
Recommended Book
Integrity—more than simple honesty, it's the key to success. A person with integrity has the ability to pull everything together, to make it all happen no matter how challenging the circumstances. Drawing on experiences from his work, Dr. Henry Cloud, a clinical psychologist, leadership coach, corporate consultant and nationally syndicated radio host, shows how our character can keep us from achieving all we want to (or could) be.
In Integrity, Dr. Cloud explores the six qualities of character that define integrity, and how people with integrity:
- Are able to connect with others and build trust
- Are oriented toward reality
- Finish well
- Embrace the negative
- Are oriented toward increase
- Have an understanding of the transcendent
Integrity is not something that you either have or don't, but instead is an exciting growth path that all of us can engage in and enjoy.