Integrity.

We are hard pressed to find it in today’s leaders. The word “integrity” is hardly ever mentioned, or considered, in our current culture. In fact, it may be a word that is rapidly disappearing from our vocabulary. In the past integrity was a fundamental requirement for leadership, but it appears that is no longer the case.

Though the world may no longer require integrity, Christ does. Integrity marks the Christian woman who declares that her faith is real by the way she lives her life according to the Word of God. If integrity is absent in her life, her ministry and the unbelieving world will see her as a fake or a fraud. A lack of integrity will render her ineffective for the kingdom work that Christ has called her to.

Instead of using our time to point fingers at others, let’s examine our own lives. The call to Christian integrity is to model Christ-likeness. 1 Peter 3:10-12 helps us to better understand what that looks like:

He who would love life, and see good days,
Let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers;
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

The woman who desires to lead and make an impact in her sphere of influence is to walk the path that Christ walked and steer clear of hypocrisy. Her speech is used to edify and speak truth, she is to focus on what’s true, right and good, and seek peace with all who are in her reach. She is to set an example of integrity so that others may follow.

I would encourage you to examine your life and your leadership based on the many references to integrity in the Bible. Though there are too many to mention, consider just a few Old Testament passages.

In 1 Kings 9:4, God instructs Solomon to walk with “integrity of heart and uprightness” as his father did.

David says in 1 Chronicles 29:17, “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.”

And in Psalm 78:70-72 we read that “David shepherded them with integrity of heart, with skillful hands.”

The wisdom of Proverbs speaks to the vital importance of integrity.

Proverbs 10:9 says that “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.” A person of integrity will have a good reputation. She will not have to fear being exposed or found out.

Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the falseness of the treacherous will destroy them.” The woman who walks in integrity will avoid losing the power of her witness for Christ. She will stay far away from deceit, corruption, and falsehood.

More importantly, Proverbs 20:7 teaches us that the woman who walks in integrity will leave a legacy, “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”

Isn’t that what we want, to leave a legacy of integrity to those God has entrusted to our care?

As you pursue your study, you will discover the word “integrity” is not used in the New Testament, but you will find many equivalent words like, “sincerity,” “truth,” and the “pure heart”. God has called His disciples to live honest, pure, sincere and genuine lives.

Instead of concerning ourselves with the lack of other’s integrity, let us seek to be women who model it in our lives that we might powerfully impact those who God has called us to lead. Now more than ever before, we must pursue integrity in order to glorify God and make His name known!