August 25th, 2023
Friday, August 25
Integrity and Uprightness Protect Me
By: Anna Williams
“See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.”
– Psalm 25:19-21 NIV
I don’t think it's exaggerated to say that hostility towards Christ-followers has grown in American culture. It seems more counter-cultural today for a youth to openly carry their Bible while walking down the halls in public school or bow their head to pray over their lunch. Likewise, the same applies to an adult employee who’s not gossiping or trash talking about their boss with coworkers. Just these small acts can invite all kinds of resentment.
The response to the hostility in this Psalm is not retaliation but a deeper call to draw near to God. I love this passage – particularly the part that says: “may integrity and uprightness protect me”. The Living Bible version translates this as “Assign me Godliness and Integrity as my bodyguards”. When we live a life of consistent integrity, allegations made with the intent to discredit us can’t gain any traction.
What is integrity? It is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral uprightness; and the state of being whole and undivided”. It means not only having a sense of what is right but to consistently live that way. To not just talk about moral values, but to operate in them in all our actions towards others. The world's largest complaint of Christians is our hypocrisy – our un-Christ-like behavior at times.
Integrity also includes holding oneself accountable–taking responsibility for one’s decisions or mistakes. This can be a powerful part of our witness if we confess and attempt to reconcile ourselves with those we have wronged.We need to hold ourselves responsible for the words we speak: if we said we would pray for someone, we need to do it; if we said we would help with a project, we show up on time and ready to work.
We can live this way while experiencing joy and fulfillment in spite of adversity, because our God can be trusted to see us through to the other side.
Integrity and Uprightness Protect Me
By: Anna Williams
“See how numerous are my enemies
and how fiercely they hate me!
Guard my life and rescue me;
do not let me be put to shame,
for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.”
– Psalm 25:19-21 NIV
I don’t think it's exaggerated to say that hostility towards Christ-followers has grown in American culture. It seems more counter-cultural today for a youth to openly carry their Bible while walking down the halls in public school or bow their head to pray over their lunch. Likewise, the same applies to an adult employee who’s not gossiping or trash talking about their boss with coworkers. Just these small acts can invite all kinds of resentment.
The response to the hostility in this Psalm is not retaliation but a deeper call to draw near to God. I love this passage – particularly the part that says: “may integrity and uprightness protect me”. The Living Bible version translates this as “Assign me Godliness and Integrity as my bodyguards”. When we live a life of consistent integrity, allegations made with the intent to discredit us can’t gain any traction.
What is integrity? It is “the quality of being honest and having strong moral uprightness; and the state of being whole and undivided”. It means not only having a sense of what is right but to consistently live that way. To not just talk about moral values, but to operate in them in all our actions towards others. The world's largest complaint of Christians is our hypocrisy – our un-Christ-like behavior at times.
Integrity also includes holding oneself accountable–taking responsibility for one’s decisions or mistakes. This can be a powerful part of our witness if we confess and attempt to reconcile ourselves with those we have wronged.We need to hold ourselves responsible for the words we speak: if we said we would pray for someone, we need to do it; if we said we would help with a project, we show up on time and ready to work.
We can live this way while experiencing joy and fulfillment in spite of adversity, because our God can be trusted to see us through to the other side.
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