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Point of Reference
by Fred Price
What kind of image are you trying to project? Do you have a mental picture of who or what you should look like and how you ought to act? Image is very important in our society today, TV commercials and ad campaigns striving to convince us that, ‘Image is everything.’ The problem with assuming an image is just that – we assume what others think and want and then try to give that to them. It often becomes something we put on and take off at will or become confused by as we attempt to be different things for different people. Webster’s defining an image as a representation of a person or thing, our imagination sometimes forming mental images of what is not actually present.
When people interact with you, are they experiencing the real you, the you that doesn’t change with the circumstances or because of the company you keep? The person who stands strong and true to beliefs and convictions regardless of the pressure exerted to mold you into something that looks like everybody else. A person who knows who they are and what they stand for, resolving to stand strong in that knowledge. That’s integrity, something the world is in short supply of today; as people of integrity say what they mean and do what they say, EVERY TIME. They are people who can be depended on to believe in a cause, speak out in support of it and work to help advance it, ALL THE TIME. And they are constant in their attitude toward and treatment of others, ALWAYS. People you can trust and respect, even if you don’t always agree with them, to be who they say they are. Again, Webster’s defining integrity as embodying honesty, sincerity, and honorableness; which in turn denotes a good reputation stemming from a strong sense of right and wrong. A strong character with a distinct personality displaying self-discipline and moral strength. (See Mark 12:14)
Is this the kind of person you want to be? It’s difficult because we all want to be distinctive – as long as we don’t stand out. Why is it everybody wants to be different – like somebody else? A singer, movie star, athlete, etc. wears a new hairdo, hat, shoe, make-up and we all stampede to be just like them; to be different in the same way. While integrity calls us to be the people we are called to be, however different from the rest of the world.
Integrity is the backbone of society, setting standards that if only a few follow purposefully gives stability and direction to society as a whole. Even as those who strive to consistently follow these standards occasionally stumble and fall, the example set in the legitimacy of their effort elevates the rest of us to try harder to do more. For integrity calls us to be more than we are; challenging us to do better, to work harder, to serve longer. Integrity demanding that we take ourselves seriously, practicing our faith publicly, living our lives ethically.
Have you ever been disappointed by someone you thought you could depend on or disappointed someone needing to depend on you? What makes us fail? Peer pressure, the strain of being different, anger, careless joy, being put on the spot concerning our faith – in other words, life. If we’re alive, we’ll be challenged. If we associate with people, we’ll be questioned. If we try we will sometimes fail; the difference is whether you get up and try again. That kind of perseverance, in time, engendering respect even from those who may disagree with you because of your dependability of character.
The key to Christian integrity is being prepared. Paul encourages us to “...put on (Or clothe yourself with) the full armor of God, (Which is the Word and the attributes which flow from it) so that when the day of evil comes, (Or trials, hardships, temptations – life!) you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 (The true definition of success.) But there are so many complicated issues in the world today. Does the Bible really speak and relate to our time? The Bible should be studied as a whole but for some really practical every-day advice and keys to Christianity that do indeed relate to the issues facing us today, I’d suggest you study Matthew 5,6, and 7 as well as Romans 12:9-21.
God describes those who lack integrity as being double-minded; saying one thing, doing another – being indecisive and doubtful when the situation calls for bold, straight-forward action. As Christians, we represent Him to all we come in contact with. A person’s first and possibly only impression of Him may be what they see in us and God is not unreliable, unpredictable, or untrustworthy! James explaining that the man who is doubtful, erratic in his lifestyle and unstable in his witness to others is “...like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” He is here and there, believing one thing then another, handling problems first this way then that way. “...a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” Warning, “That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord,” James 1:6-8
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Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.
Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker. He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today. Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.
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