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I participate in a small group that is presently reading a collection of stories entitled A Lineage of Grace by Francine Rivers. The book, a collection of stories about the women in the lineage of Jesus Christ, has study questions at the end of each section.

After each story there is a part devoted to studying the scripture on which that story is based. This week, after I finished the third story, that of Ruth, I spent time doing the study. In the section on Reputations, I ran across the sub-section called Finding God’s Way For You. The first question, ”What does it mean to you to have character?” caused me to think.

I recently heard of the business practices of a woman who owns a small start-up business in our town. I surmised that this woman will have to face a higher authority because of her business practices and her personal habits. My response to all I heard was, “Where is her integrity?” Then the next evening I discovered the question about character. It made me think.

Integrity, from the Hebrew, means completeness.1

To me, integrity involves honesty, faithfulness to our word, and reliability. In our 21Century society, we see very few pockets of any of these qualities. When a person is dishonest, those with whom he or she deals become leery of working with that individual. Eventually, those people find ways to disassociate themselves from the situation.

One who says one thing and then doesn’t follow through causes those with whom they deal to distrust. Sometimes, this is a very simple issue as not giving a message to someone. Eventually, the one who engages in shoddy business practices and makes bad decisions becomes unreliable.

What does God say about these issues?

The Bible’s response:

John 10:3-5 Obedience—“The watchman opens the gate opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought our all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Children of God notice anomalies in a person’s conduct of their business-even their personal business. Committed believers are especially cautious about the public thinking they are ‘guilty by association.’

1 Peter 5:5 Humility—“Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another.” We are not to think of ourselves as better than anyone else. People gravitate to those with whom they feel the most comfortable. Once, we were in the market for a new washing machine. One of the stores we went to lost my business because the salesman talked down to me.

Romans 16:17-18 Caution “I urge you, brothers, to watch out or those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. For such people are not serving our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naïve people.” This past spring, I directed a short play for the drama ministry at church. I wanted one of the characters to come across as a ‘flim-flam’ man. Now, personally, I do not like a hard-sell sales person. But the script seemed to call for one who could sell a freezer to an Eskimo. In the play, the salesman loses his would-be customers to someone who follows the Lord. My choice for casting the salesman told me “Yes, I can do ‘flim-flam.’ But, I’m positive that he doesn’t care for that type of business person, either.

Each of us who love the Lord Jesus should remind the words if Paul to the Philippians (4:8)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

1. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary © 1988 Moody Press, Moody Institute, Chicago page 623

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