Does Integrity Really Matter?

Written on 09/22/2022
Christian Dunn

Verse: 2 Corinthians 1:12-14

12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Thoughts
I'm coaching a high school soccer team. Earlier in the season after a hard win on the road, the girls asked me to have the bus driver stop at a Wawa (for those of you who live in other parts of the country, Wawa is a gas station with an store with food and coffee attached that everyone loves where I live) on the way home. I'm a brand new coach just learning the ropes so I wasn't sure if this was allowed, so I called the Athletic Director. Much to the girls' disappointment he said no. 

Now, at least a few of them said, "Why did you call him? We should have just gone." Interesting point. Here is where this verse comes in: "we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity." It's such a small point, and certainly I could have not called him and maybe that's not a big deal. But in the moment I felt it was a character thing. I'm a Christian. They know I'm a Christian. So how I handle character moments speaks volumes about our faith.

I took the moment to explain that as a team we want to be people of character, and sometimes that means doing the right thing even if it ends up costing you. It's a small example, but the point is: are we living our lives with integrity and sincerity in front of non-believers?

What would people think, if all they had to create their opinion of Jesus was your life? Jesus echoes this when he teaches us to "let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). What will they see? Our good deeds!

How we live our lives in front of the world matters greatly. Being people of integrity, honesty, sincerity, and love matters. Being people who keep their word, who show up for others, who speak up for others, matters. Let this verse be an encouragement to you! The little character thigns you do every day matter in the lives of those who are watching how you live!

Prayer
I pray that you would use my life to speak to and encourage the people around me - and to draw them closer to you!