AUDIENCE OF ONE!
It is interesting to me that one of the most famous quotes on the subject of integrity; i.e. "Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching. (Marshall)", presents us with a profound paradox in day to day life; especially as a Christians, who seem to draw the attention of all the world to our actions. It is a great quote for sure, often attributed to C.S. Lewis or Douglas MacArthur, and it is easily on of my favorites, but unfortunately, it doesn't quite address the devastating impact of a failure or lack of integrity in our personal walk with Jesus, and our service to Him within the structure of the church. Neither does it account for the desperate need of Christian integrity to occupy such a central role, that it sufficiently and effectively spans the decades of our entire lives, yielding, “…the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Heb 12:11)”
It is certainly a desirable trait to do the right thing, even when no one is watching, but the fact is, someone is always watching! Whether it be our fellow laborers, (secular or sacred), our family members, (especially our children), unbelievers and believers alike, but without a doubt, the eyes of the Lord Himself are always watching. For all practical purposes, it would be better for the follower of Christ to just say, “Integrity is doing the right thing, before an audience of One!”
The consequences are far too devastating for the Christian to even consider engaging the cowardly tendency of the human flesh, to scan the room first in order to clear themselves prior to committing a sinful act. Just assume there is indeed someone present who will be grieved by your careless actions and refrain from failing in your integrity. We can be certain that there is at least one person in the room, i.e. the Holy Spirit, and His instructions on the matter are clear enough: "He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known. (Prov 10:9)" and "The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. (Prov 11:3)"
It’s one thing to live a life of integrity, when that life does not require an inordinate amount of integrity, but it’s quite another thing entirely, to live a life of unassailable integrity, in the white hot spotlight of public scrutiny, with conspiring forces all around who are bent on destroying you and your testimony for Christ, by constantly attempting to undermine your integrity. Such lives have been lived throughout the Church age, and we can learn a great deal from them. In the modern era, such were the lives of men like the Rev. Billy Graham, Pastor Chuck Smith, and other faithful servants who guarded themselves against having even an appearance of evil, much less, actually succumbing to the lures of pleasure, power, and prestige. Wisely, they realized that, integrity was not comprised of just one characteristic, but it required many aspects of discipline.
The prophet Daniel paints a perfect picture of faithful integrity for us in the Old Testament, of whom it has been said, “Wow, sixty years of public service with no negligence, no corruption, no shortcomings, no skeletons in the closets, no wrongdoing, nothing. This man is clean. That's the absence of deception. That's the presence of blamelessness. That's the practice of scrutiny. That's drawing the line where God draws the line! (Nyquist 5)” What a great definition for long-lasting integrity, “the absence of deception, the presence of blamelessness, and the practice of scrutiny”. Any ministry spanning so many years of time, experiencing such great successes, while remaining completely free from scandal, disgrace, and moral failure, is worth careful study and consideration. I guess for me, this is highly significant, because I believe that integrity is a marathon, not a sprint. Anyone can exhibit varying degrees of integrity over short periods of time, but it takes a great deal of character, genuineness, and authenticity to maintain a lifetime of integrity, especially in the face of the public spotlight, and even more so in Christian ministry, with the added elements of spiritual warfare bearing down on you.
I also believe that these men were able to accomplish this, because of their knowledge and practice of God’s word, their reliance upon the strength of the Lord, and their yielding to the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Staying true to your calling, faithfully doing your job, and doing it well consistently for decades, defines the concept of integrity for me. As Jesus said, “…be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household… Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. (Mat 24:44-46)” This beautifully captures the idea of, “Doing the right thing when no one is watching”, in a biblical context. Another great exhortation from Jesus that is worthy of noting is, Luke 12:1-3, where He exclaimed: "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops." Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching, but someone is always watching! Do the right thing for an audience of One!
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited:
NKJV Bible
Nyquist, Paul. Men of Integrity. Verbaline.com
I also believe that these men were able to accomplish this, because of their knowledge and practice of God’s word, their reliance upon the strength of the Lord, and their yielding to the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Staying true to your calling, faithfully doing your job, and doing it well consistently for decades, defines the concept of integrity for me. As Jesus said, “…be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household… Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. (Mat 24:44-46)” This beautifully captures the idea of, “Doing the right thing when no one is watching”, in a biblical context. Another great exhortation from Jesus that is worthy of noting is, Luke 12:1-3, where He exclaimed: "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops." Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching, but someone is always watching! Do the right thing for an audience of One!
By Pastor Glen Mustian
Works Cited:
NKJV Bible
Nyquist, Paul. Men of Integrity. Verbaline.com
