Integrity

 Happy Saturday! We have christened the new year in and we are now on our way, hopefully we are even used to writing 2026 in the date by now. I am so excited, this has been a roller coaster of emotions week and I get to spend the day with the two people who know me best, Dani and Tammy. I. CANNOT. WAIT! It is funny, these two have been there through every up and down in my life, and I hope they would say the same for me. My friend Rob always talks about that line in Stand By Me, that says, "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12". These two are it. They know absolutely everything about me and like me anyway. It is funny, we plan these days months in advance but it seems like I never need them more than when we are getting ready for a day. 

So, I want to get on with our Bible Study and get on with the day.

We are pulling one verse out of James today, not because I am trying to skimp, but it is truly a stand alone verse. James puts a single verse in here to point out how important it is that people can trust you. I will admit, for many years, I thought this verse was about cussing; it is not, it is about holding true to your word, keeping your promises, doing what you say you are going to do and being someone who can be trusted. It is about integrity.

So, lets jump in.

James 5:12

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear- not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under judgement.

Highlight = Let your "yes" be yes, and your "no" be no. Expain= Say what you mean and mean what you say. This goes back to the think twice, speak once theory that I have told before. The definition of integrity is being whole, honest and consistent, inside and out. Integrity is when your values, words, and actions all line up. I don't think there is any more important quality in the world that having integrity. And it should be protected at all costs. When you say you are going to do something, do it. When you are telling someone something, make sure it is true and if you have to change your mind, make sure you have a good reason that you can explain why you did. What this verse is trying to say is you shouldn't have to say something like, "I swear on my father's grave, I am telling the truth". You should be the type of person that doesn't have to go to drastic measures of "taking an oath" to get them to believe you. Apply= The first thing I think of when I think of this verse is political campaign promises. I am in a more political world than I ever imagined myself in but it makes me listen very closely to campaign promises. There are some who have made promises that made me think they were going to be great, as soon as they are voted into office, you either never hear anything about that topic again, or you find out they have voted totally opposite. Most of the time, you never get an answer as to why. I have one particular representative that tells me they like my programs and then votes against them. I get told, "its not that I don't want to support your programs, but there was things tied to that bill I absolutely couldn't agree on". My thought is, if you really feel that way, make sure not to compromise at all. There are times you say things and then realize you really do have to change your mind, but learn from your mistakes, don't make promises you can't keep. If someone asks you to do something and you are not 100% sure you can pull it off, don't promise them you can do it. Tell them you will try. Respond= Lord, always let me have the wisdom to know when I can do things and when I can't. When holding other peoples lives in my hands, let me know when to say, I can, and when to say I will try. I will try is not a copout, it is honesty and it keeps feelings from being hurt while keeping my integrity in place.

One more thing, when you have said something and find out you were wrong, say so immediately. This should be a self-conscience thing but I also knows this protects my integrity. If someone has told me something and I have passed it on, the moment I find out that was incorrect information, I try to get everyone I have told informed as well. This is protecting your integrity too. There are so many things that can be taken away from you in this world. The only way your integrity can be taken away is if you do that to yourself. Once you have lost people's trust, it takes a lot of rebuilding to get it back.

HOWEVER, if you have been someone that has been untrustworthy, it is never too late to start getting on the right track. Is it easier to lie than face the truth? Sometimes, but your lies will always find you out. Robert gave me a quote this week that I love. "Every saint has a past, every sinner has a future". I love that. We have also talked about change and of course, Robert has went through really dark places with addiction. I asked him what changed when he started really getting better and he said, "when I truly realized I can't do this and God can". Another one of his little sayings is exactly that, "I can't, God can" and that is so valuable in so many of our lives.

I hope you have an amazing day, I know from about 11:30-3 or 4, my time is going to be in hyperspeed and go way too fast, but I will still treasure every second.

Have a great week!