“Integrity is what you do…

…when no one is looking”. I can’t tell you who said this-heck-I even googled it (or as my mom says, “goggled” it). I have heard this my whole life-however-I have not adhered to it my whole life. Who doesn’t try to get away with the little things once in awhile?

Here are a few examples, embarrassingly enough, where I have been a woman of less than integrity and where God has knocked me down a peg or two:

“I just go 4 miles over the speed limit. Everyone else does.” Bam! Speeding ticket.

“Of course I didn’t stuff my bra, Mom. Those are kleenexes for later.” Bam! Grounded and forced to write 6 inches out of the dictionary.

“She forgot to charge me for the stuff at the bottom of my cart. It’s a big corporation, it won’t matter to them.” Bam! Convicted and went back to pay for my “free” stuff.

“They left it behind-guess it’s mine now.” Bam! Convicted and they asked for it later, which was awkward.

I hated being less than honest-and worse-I hated being caught. I felt like I had to weave more and more webs to cover up what I had done.

I decided long ago when I was humiliated for another lie, to no longer live that way. Black is black and white is white-even if the world seems to think there are 50 shades of grey.

Here’s what God says about integrity:

“In the way of righteousness there is life; along that path is immortality.” Proverbs 12:28 (I’d like to have a long life.)

“The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.” Proverbs 10:9 (I want to be secure in who I am.)

Of course I still screw up constantly and make a thousand mistakes on a daily basis. But, above all, I want to make my dad and my Dad proud. This is what is promised me if I do:

“In my integrity, you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.” Psalm 41:12 (That sounds pretty awesome.)

“May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.” Psalm 25:21

Ever since I decided to live a black and white life, I don’t have to wonder what I need to cover up, who I’ve told what or what I’ve omitted from which conversation.

It’s so simple. It’s so freeing. Why didn’t I do this years ago?