What Influences Your Integrity
“Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded. Balaam answered Balak, “did I not tell the messengers you sent me, “even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord-and I must say only what the Lord says” (NIV) Numbers 24:11-13
I made time to google the word “integrity” and this is the definition that popped up: “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”. I can say that our world today has too many people without integrity because of the numerous injustice and corruption in our daily news. For example, recent undercover investigations in my country Ghana revealed the horrific news of how some judges temper with justice because of money and how some lecturers coerce students to trade sex for grades in the universities. For a country that has more than 70% of its citizens being Christians, one would wonder whether this 70% of the population are just churchgoers pretending to be Christians.
The bible reading is a story about the king of Moab, Balak, who was terrified because the Israelites had settled close to his land. He had heard stories of how the Israelites defeated his neighbours and he knew his land would be the next to be captured so he sent his officials to fetch Balaam so that Balaam can curse the Israelites. Balak offered a handsome reward if Balaam will oblige him his request. God appeared to Balaam and asked him not to honour the king’s (Balak) request and so Balaam did not curse the Israelites, although he would have gotten paid heavily if he did. The full story can be found in Numbers chapters 22, 23 and 24.
The bible in Ecclesiastes 10:19 attests to the fact that money is good. The same bible in 1 Timothy 6:10 also makes it known that money is the root of all evil. Being wealthy is good but wealth must be obtained in a godly way. Wealth, ill-gotten mars one’s integrity. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? (Mark 8:36)
Our world does not usually recognize people of integrity. We are more concerned about riches and not questioning how people make their money. We are more concerned about success and not questioning how people succeed. So, for you who is seen by the world to be poor or not smart in your dealings but in the sight of God, your integrity is intact, please find solace in these biblical references (Psalm 41:11-12, Proverbs 11:3, Proverbs 28:6, Proverbs 12:22, Philippians 4:8).
May we as Christians, make our light of integrity shine so brightly that the world will know the one in whom we believe. God bless you.