preserve. guide. bless.

Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

Proverbs 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

Proverbs 19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

Proverbs 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

Apparently, integrity is something that can guide us. can preserve us. can bless our children. It is on the same level as uprightness. better than having riches.

I want integrity.

I want my children to have integrity!! 

integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; the condition of being unified, unimpaired, or sound in construction; internal consistency or lack of corruption in electronic data

When most of us think of integrity in people, we probably are thinking of the first part of the definition: being honest and having strong moral principles. 

Are we honest? Obviously, we should not speak our whole mind about others or to others [Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.].

But sometimes we are not even honest with ourselves. We say we do not care what others think. but we do. AND we SHOULD. We should care what others think, but only to the extent of HONESTLY examining our own lives and actions. 

To care about what others think does not mean I will compromise the cause of Christ. and my children need to understand that, too.

I must not brush aside when others correct my children or make known a fault [no matter if it is done rudely or tastefully]. I must teach my children how to handle correction. with humility and honesty.

But also, we must deal honestly with others. Speak honestly. Pay attention that we do not take advantage of others' generosity. Keep watch that our children learn this.

 

Even further, are we honest with God? in our opportunities to witness. with using the talents He has given us. in our giving. Only an individual can examine his own heart, but we must also remember that others see our actions. [We should care what others think, but only to the extent of HONESTLY examining our own lives and actions.]

Beyond being honest, do we have a Biblical sense of morality? I stress Biblical because today's morality is changed from the morality my parents grew up with. We cannot flow with society in this.

Do I teach my children what the Bible says about right and wrong? Do I teach them consequences? If not, they will have a rude awakening one day. Do I give them an example of truthfulness and responsibility?

Simple ethics and expectations of good behavior, a Biblical sense of justice and modest propriety seem to be a thing of by-gone days. 


But as mothers, we can help CHANGE that!
     by TEACHING our children to have integrity.