Integrity is something we all look for in others and long to have in our own leadership areas. So if it's so important let us ask ourselves the following questions:
How do you know if you have integrity?
What exactly is it anyway?
Let's think out of the box for a moment.
When something is well built, we say it has structural integrity. So in an earthquake, the building with excellent structural integrity survives. When something physically collapses, we say it didn’t have the integrity to withstand the impact.
Integrity in the original Latin has a root meaning ‘intact’. Can you withstand the crisis intact?
As you look at today's world not many people are withstanding crises well these days. The storm comes and they collapse along with their family and their ministry.
When things are going good or normal in our lives, we are not truly tested. Life being, ‘Normal’ doesn’t really test your integrity. No one sees the problem until the storm hits. When a crisis comes, it’s often too late to fix what’s wrong.
The damage is happening in real time.
While there are many things that compromise our integrity, here are five warning signs that show your integrity is in question:
1. It’s all about you.
You can say it’s about God. You can say it’s about others. But only you and God know your heart. Selfish people harm their, family, friends and yes, ministries and themselves. If it’s all about you, you won’t go the distance. Or you will, but you’ll hurt a lot of people in the process and you’ll never know what could have happened if you made it about God and others. It might seem as if you are being blessed at the moment, but a selfish heart and prideful spirit God will cast down!
Isaiah 2:11
11 Human pride will be brought down,
and human arrogance will be humbled.
Only the Lord will be exalted
on that day of judgment.
2. Poor self image.
Your self esteem rises and falls with the opinion of others. A secure leader can see the right way and lead people there through tough conditions. An insecure leader will bend with every change in public opinion. This means you’re not actually leading anyone, not even yourself. A leader with poor self image is a leader that is always defensive and title hungry. The more titles the better they feel about who they are. This is a sharp contrast to those who find identity in Christ and not title or position.
Galatians 1:10
10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
3. I have a secret.
Hidden things will eventually demand payment! You shouldn’t be telling everyone everything (that’s not healthy) – but someone needs to know everything. If you’re keeping secrets, you’re heading for a fall. Between my wife, elders, close friends and mentors, I have an inner circle that knows everything about me. (By the way, if you’re afraid to give your password on your computer or phone to anyone in that circle, you’re hiding things.) We cannot function with true integrity unless we operate with true accountability.
Proverbs 28:13
13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
But if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
James 5:16
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
4. No follow through!
If you fail to do what you said you were going to do your integrity is in question. This isn’t just about keeping promises; it’s about keeping your word in everything. Better to say nothing and surprise someone by delivering than blurt out an intention you can’t follow through with. The end result is, people lose confidence in you when you fail to deliver on your promises. It causes trust issues. A fairly easy way to address this is to say less and deliver more. A great follow up system also helps (sometimes a lack of integrity isn’t even a moral issue – just an awareness and organization issue). Have a plan and carry it out. UN-kept promises numb people’s receptiveness to you. Without a platform of trust and respect your efforts to minister are DOA (dead on arrival).
James 5:12
12 But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.
Proverbs 10:9
9 People with integrity walk safely,
but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.
Luke 16:10
10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.
5. You don’t bend you always break.
Leadership is not about getting everyone to like you or about finding the easiest path. Remember not everybody like Jesus. As a matter fact, they plotted to destroy him from the beginning. Jesus also said, John 15: 18“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.”
It’s about discerning the best way forward. It’s about getting people to go where they wouldn’t go if it wasn’t for leadership. If you make too many compromises or even a handful of personal compromises, your effectiveness will be–you guessed it– compromised. To remain a crowd pleaser is a very dangerous path. When we begin to seek the praises of men more than God trouble is eminent in our ministries.
Galatians 1:10
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Colossians 1:10
“so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
Don’t just think of these things as character flaws, think of what’s at stake: when the crises hit (and they will), you won’t be left standing. Simple as that. When you attend to these things, you integrity grows, and so does your ability to live and lead through difficult times. Ministering in our world today is not an easy task. It takes all that we have, working in our favor, but most of all the Holy Spirit working in our lives. A person of integrity will not compromise themselves in order to gain a position or the favor of others, but they will turn to the Lord with a humble heart.
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