Inner life Integrity

• Introduction
• Definition of Integrity
• Inner Life Integrity
• Integrity of Heart
• Integrity Check
• How to Practice Integrity?
• What are the results of living an integrated life?
• Self-centered personality
• Characteristics traits of self-centered personality
• How do we overcome ‘I’?
• Self centered personality
• Dealing with Ego
 Integrity - definition
• Integrity comes from the Latin word "integer,"
which means whole and entire, unbroken and
consistent.
• According to Oxford Dictionary, The word
‘integrity’ means ‘wholeness’, ‘completeness’
or soundness’.
According to
• Fr. William Barry, S. J.
– There is no short cut to becoming a person of
wisdom and integrity. It is a journey, not a
destination.
• W. Clement Stone
– Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to
face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right.
These are the magic keys to living your life with
integrity.
 Inner Life Integrity

• Not easily visible to the outside world.

• Try to portray a good picture of ourselves to
people around us and spend much energy in
trying to impress people.
• Psychologists say the human personality is like
an iceberg.
– 5%, at the conscious level
– 95% at the subconscious and unconscious level
 The Holy Bible
"For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication,
murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness,
deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness. All these evil things come
from within and defile a man" Mark 7:21-23.
 Integrity of Heart
• It is the heart that needs a change.
• God’s eyes are always on the heart of man, to
see what emerges from there ie., our motives,
plans and desires.
• Service to Him comes out of a deep love for
Him, from the heart, and is not merely an
activity to impress people.
 Integrity Check
• Continue to occur throughout the life.
• Certain issues of the heart must be settled
early in the leadership development process
or we will experience serious contradictions.
• Desires deep inside will pull us towards
decisions and choices that are essentially self
– centered
 How to Practice Integrity?
• Integrity within yourself
• Integrity at work
• Integrity in relationships
• Integrity with your friendships
 Integrity within yourself
• Decide now, not later
• Quit the rationalizations
• Don’t take the first step
• Don’t justify the means for the end
• Take personal responsibility for your life
 Integrity in relationships and friendships
• Integrity in relationships
– Accountability
• taking personal responsibility and making apology when necessary
– Keep your word
• keeping your promises and honoring your word
– Be an open book
• Don’t keep secrets from your significant other
– Avoid emotional cheating
• If you find yourself sharing more of your thoughts and feelings with
opposite sex, it’s time to take a big step back.
• Integrity with your friendships
– Keep your promises
• A man’s word is his bond
– Don’t talk smack about other people
• Saying something behind someone’s back
– Be the vault
• Nothing erodes a friendship faster than a breach of trust in the secret
department.
What are the results of living an integrated life?
• Peace and harmony will be one of the results because
our thoughts, words and actions are consistent.
• That peace and harmony will flow out into the
community, family, friends and work life and influence
others to do the same.
• We will have the courage to speak out boldly and
challenge decisions and actions that lack integrity in
any sphere of life.
• We will become courageous enough to speak the truth
even at a cost to ourselves.
• We can reduce the crisis of trust that exists in many
areas of life.
Character study
• Daniel
• Joseph
• Esther
 Daniel
• Ancestry and family life
– He was young, likely 16-18 at this time, good-
looking, intelligent, and wise
– Man of the nobility and was the role model of the
Israelites.
– He was taken as a captive to Babylon for just these
reasons.
– Nebuchadnezzar was the king at that time.
• Babylon was a city of ancient Mesopotamia,
the remains of which are found in present-day
Al Hillah, Babylon Province, Iraq, about 85
kilometers (55 mi) south of Baghdad.
 Daniel
• When and where he lived
– He was born around 620 B.C. in Jerusalem.
– Israel had been under attack for some time and
surrendered to the world power of Babylon.
– He was taken to Babylon after the siege of Jerusalem
ended (it started in 605 B.C.).
– Daniel was merely a boy when he was forced to leave
everything.
– He lived in a pagan and sinful culture in Babylon.
– Daniel was about 80 when Persia conquered Babylon.
 Daniel
• Training and occupation
– Had a very high education and was trained in all the
branches of wisdom.
– He also studied literature and learned to be at least
bilingual.
– In Babylon he served in a number of capacities.
– He was a wise man, an adviser in the personal service
of Nebuchadnezzar.
– He was made the overseer over the province of
Babylon and all the wise men and magicians in the
Babylonian kingdom.
 Daniel
• Place in history
– Wrote the book of Daniel.
– Served some of the most powerful leaders in the
history of the world.
– Important prophet for the nation of Israel and for
the whole world.
– Daniel was honored by God to the extent that God
gave him many sensitive visions and mysteries
regarding the future.
 Daniel
• Special traits
– The gift to understand dreams and visions and
give the correct interpretation.
– King found in him ten times better than all the
magicians and astrologers that were in all his
realm.
– Distinguished himself wherever he turned
 Daniel
• Strengths
– Wisdom/discretion
– Humility
– Reliance on God
– Steadfast/uncompromising
– Courage
– Important acts and events
 Lessons from his life
• God protects and blesses those who seek Him and put
Him first.
– Daniel risked His life in order to follow God and God
protected him
• God throws down the proud and raises up the humble.
– Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, and the other satraps were all
prideful.
– Daniel was humble and obedient and God honored him by
raising him to positions of leadership, giving him long life.
• Daniel lived his entire life as a faithful servant of the
LORD, even though he was also trapped in very
ungodly environments throughout all those years.
 Joseph
• Ancestry and family life
– Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob.
– He was born to Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel.
– His father and his brothers were shepherds
– His father loved him more than all the rest of his
children and gave him a special multi-colored
coat.
 Joseph
• When and where he lived
– Joseph and his family were living near Hebron.
– This is just east of the Salt Sea and south of modern
day Jerusalem.
– He lived approximately 1900 B.C.
• Training and occupation
– Begun as shepherd.
– He was a steward and a manager of Potiphar’s estates.
– Have been multilingual to carry on conversations with
the various people in Egypt
– became second-in-command over all of Egypt
 Joseph
• Place in history
– Holds a huge place in the history of Israel, Egypt
– Through him much of Egypt was saved from the
famine as well as Israel.
– God used Joseph to keep the line of the Messiah
alive.
 Joseph
• Special traits
– The power to interpret dreams
– He really cared about family and about life
• Strengths
– Faithfulness
– Stewardship
– Resisting temptation
 Joseph
• Important acts and events
– Sold into slavery
– Put into prison
– Made ruler over Egypt
– Visited by his brothers
– Reunited with his father
– Blessed
 Joseph
• Lessons from his life
– Faithfulness
– Resistance to temptation
– God’s sovereignty
– Forgiveness
– Take advantage of opportunities given to him
Esther