A man of integrity

Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men…but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth (Mark 12:14).

It’s been said that the only thing a man truly has is his integrity. When he says something, you know that it’s the truth. When he makes a promise, you can take it to the bank. There are few things in life as important as your good name.

And yet, so often we betray the trust that others have placed in us. You make a promise, fully intending to carry it out. But then the situation changes, or you realize that you overestimated your own abilities. Regardless of the reason, you cannot keep your promise.

It also happens when people ask you for advice. You share what you know, fully believing it to be true. But then you find out that you didn’t have all the facts, or that you were operating with faulty information because someone lied or exaggerated. Regardless of the reason, your advice was flawed, perhaps dangerously so.

So what do you do? Do you say that you misspoke? Do you claim that your words were taken out of context? Do you blame someone else for sabotaging you? Or do you own up to your failings and simply apologize? No matter what course you take, people will now question your integrity, wondering if your words are worth listening to.

As the years go by, it’s easy to get cynical; you start assuming that everyone is a liar, a braggart, or just plain incompetent. It’s hard to take anyone’s words at face value and believe what they say. But there is one person whose word is always good. That person is Jesus Christ. He doesn’t make promises He can’t back up, because He’s the Son of God—nothing can trump His power. And Jesus can be trusted to always speak the truth; as the King of the universe, He doesn’t have to curry favor with anyone, so He has no reason to lie or distort the truth.

Jesus has integrity that you can rely on. When He offers to forgive all your mistakes, no matter how terrible they are, He’s not blowing smoke. When He promises to raise you from the dead, you can take it to the bank.