Integrity

The Old Testament example of integrity is the Ten Commandments. The New Testament
example is the cross. Jesus had options. He could have run away. He could have lied. He could have defended Himself against the charges. He could have hired Judas to rally an army. Instead, He went to the cross. As we spiral up the mountain in our life journeys, the ideal of integrity drifts high above us like distant clouds—fluffy and vague with meaning. Through the grace of God, however, and in examples around me, I see what integrity means—and I see people who have touched the sky.

Integrity
By Howard Butt, Jr.
The great golf legend Bobby Jones lost the prestigious U. S. Open Championship when he penalized himself. The ball moved slightly. Only Jones saw it happen, but he knew he had to take a penalty stroke. Later, when he was praised for his honesty, Jones was astounded. He said, “There is only one way to play. You might as well praise a man for not robbing a bank.” Integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is looking—particularly when the wrong thing is to your advantage. This is Howard Butt, Jr., of Laity Lodge. We all face opportunities to cut corners or evade the truth. We can say, “Who will it hurt?” or, “No one will know.” But integrity says, “What matters is that I know”—in the high calling of our daily work.