Integrity

Tonight, we’re going to look at integrity. But before I ask

you if you have integrity in your life, let’s look at the
definition of integrity, according to dictionary.com:

- adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of

moral character; honesty

So someone who has integrity is someone who adheres to

moral and ethical principles, someone who is sound of moral
character. But that would assume that to have integrity,
someone would need to have moral and ethical principles
and moral character to begin with, doesn’t it?

Our hope as counselors is that through your parents’

teachings and through our time spent here at church, you
would have moral and ethical principles and moral character.
Some of you, if presented with a moral or ethical dilemma,
would be able to tell right from wrong, right? But knowing is
only half the battle, and today, we’re going to look at
someone in the Bible who went beyond knowing, and
practiced the doing.

The meaning of integrity

Let’s turn to Daniel 1:8-16 for a Biblical definition of

integrity.

First, notice Daniel’s attitude when he was challenged on his

decision. His reply to the steward speaks volumes:

“Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us
vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our
appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of
the young men who eat the portion of the king’s delicacies;
and as you see fit, so deal with your servants.”
Daniel was pretty sure of himself, wasn’t he? When he was
questioned about his choice not to eat the king’s delicacies,
he said, “Test me, and let the results be the judge.” With
this kind of attitude, there is power in Daniel’s integrity – he
chooses to live by God’s words, not just because he’s been
told to, but because he is convinced, he is convicted, that
God’s way is the better way.

Now let’s look at Daniel’s choice. He and his friends had

been captured by Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, to
serve in the king’s courts. The king wants to feed his
servants with the best foods, so that they will be strong and
healthy. The king had appointed a daily provision of his
delicacies and the wine which he drank. To some of us, a
king’s delicacies sounds like a great feast, and we wouldn’t
hesitate even one second before devouring the whole
course. But what did Daniel choose? Look carefully at the
word describing Daniel’s his feeling toward the king’s food:
“Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and
wine.” The other part of Daniel’s integrity lies in a strong
conviction that what goes against God is not just something
kind of bad, but he strongly feels it is something that will
“defile” him.

What’s the definition of “defile”? According to

dictionary.com:

- to make foul, dirty, or unclean; pollute; taint; debase

- to violate the chastity of

I’d heard this phrase once that illustrates well the meaning
of “defile” – “99% pure, 1% sewer, I will not drink.” Daniel
didn’t just think that the king’s food is a little bit bad – he
believed that it would make him foul, dirty, unclean. Like I
said earlier, most of you know the difference between right
and wrong on many moral and ethical issues, but how many
of you feel strongly about the right and wrong?
God tells us to love one another. Do you think making fun of
each other and putting each other down is a good way to
love one another? Do you think God smiles and the angels
rejoice when we put each other down? How strongly do you
feel about doing the right thing? Or put another way – how
strongly do you feel about doing the wrong thing? Do you
feel dirty? Defiled?

Knowing what the right thing is

And just how would Daniel have known what the right thing
is? The Bible doesn’t tell us explicitly, but we see in chapter
1 of Daniel that the king took young men who showed
aptitude in every kind of learning, were well informed, and
were quick to understand. I would assume that his parents
raised him well. And I would also venture that he knew
God’s teachings well, because it was obvious from his
actions that he knew what God decreed. It’s hard to do the
right thing if you don’t know what the right thing is, isn’t it?
We spend week after week studying God’s Word, learning
about what God wants us to do – so that when the day
comes and we are challenged, we will know what the right
thing is.

Consistently doing the right thing

And how often does Daniel do the right thing? Just once in a
while? Or all the time? Let’s turn to Daniel 6:10-24 to see
Daniel’s consistency in doing the right thing.

The background to the passage – the men in charge didn’t

like how powerful Daniel was becoming, and plotted to get
rid of him. They convinced the king to issue an edict that
anyone who prays to any god or man, except the king,
should be thrown into the lion’s den.

So what does Daniel do? The Bible tells us that when he got
home, he got on his knees and prayed, three times a day,
just as he had done before. In the New King James version,
it says that he did this three times a day “as was his custom
since early days”. The key to being able to do the right thing
when you are challenged? A strong history of having done
the right thing. It’s hard to be able to take a stand for what’s
right if you’ve never done it before. But if you do it all the
time, taking a stand in the little things, when you face big
challenges, it will be easy to keep choosing to do the right
thing.

Suppose that you’re at school, and the question of evolution

and creation comes up. At church, it’s easy to say that you
believe God created the world, because you’re surrounded
by people who would most likely agree with you and support
you. But at school, you state that you believe God created
the world, and even though they’re not in your face and
openly challenging you, the other students give you a look
like they’re saying, “You still believe in THAT stuff??” What
do you do? Do you back down and shut your mouth?
Change your position? Or do you stand firm in your belief
(without being a zealous fanatic, of course)? How hard is it
to be consistent in your integrity?

Doing the right thing when no one is looking

But what about when no one’s looking? In the example we

looked at in chapter 6, Daniel goes home to his upper room
and prayed. He’s not out in public where everyone can see
him – he’s on his own, in his room, alone. And he still
chooses to do what is right.

How hard is it to choose to do the right thing, when you

think no one is looking? Ask yourself this hard question,
and be honest.

We’ll start with the simple stuff. You have a lot of

homework, and you know you’re supposed to be working on
it. Your parents generally trust your judgment and leave you
to do your thing in your own room. Do you use your time
well? Do you choose to do your work, or do you choose to
spend your time unwisely?

How about we move on to the harder stuff? Like when you

are alone at home, when you know that your parents (and
siblings) are out and you know they won’t be back for
another two hours, where is your integrity? You know
there’s stuff you’re not supposed to watch on TV, sites you
shouldn’t visit on the web. Where’s your integrity? When
the temptation rises, do you choose to walk away, or do you
choose to defile yourself?

It is difficult to stand up for your beliefs and principles in

these times, especially if you’re not used to standing up for
them in easier circumstances, isn’t it?

Or suppose you’ve been assigned to a task. You’ve been

asked to clean the ROCK room and the baptistry on Friday
night. Being smart, you want to wait until everyone leaves
before you start cleaning, otherwise it’ll be a never-ending
job. (Those of you that are smarter will leave right away
after the meeting ends so you don’t have to do any cleaning,
but… shame on you!!) So now everyone’s left the room,
you’re on your own, cleaning up.. do you do the best you
can, or do you say, “Hey, no one’s here, no one’s looking, I’ll
just push the chairs around so it looks neat and go home? It
doesn’t matter, anyway.” How easy is it to settle for “good
enough” when no one’s watching?

Or suppose you’ve been assigned to lead worship or teach in

KFC. How easy would it be to think, “Hey, it’s just a bunch of
little kids, they don’t know any different, let’s just pick some
random songs…” or, “OK, it’s my turn to teach again… no
one pays attention anyways, um, let’s just talk about five
loaves and two fish again, and then we’ll spend the rest of
the time playing games.” When you think no one that knows
any better is watching, do you still strive to do your very
best, or do you settle for “good enough”?
And on that note, we’ll break for small groups..