INTEGRITY
Who may worship in Your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter Your presence on Your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Psalm 15:1-2 (NLT)
David wrote this Psalm to illustrate who receives rest from the toil of daily life. Who may worship in the sanctuary of the Lord? David writes that righteous, mature believers who live with integrity can enter God's rest.
David speaks of inner integrity, which is defined as being whole and undivided. It’s less about the outer actions being correct and more about the inner person being pure and blameless. As we grow more closely connected to Jesus, we should begin to see a closer connection between our hearts and our actions. This is the type of person that David describes in this song.
Journalist and Author Sydney J. Harris said, Honesty consists of the unwillingness to lie to others; maturity, which is equally hard to attain, consists of the unwillingness to lie to oneself.
Integrity is more than just saying and doing the right things. It is about becoming the mature person described in the Scriptures. This is a worthy goal for us to shoot for. When we become people characterized by integrity, our worship, our relationships, and our ministry are accompanied by a freedom and power only characterized by a servant of the Most High God. This integrity is worth striving for in this life. Praise God that He prunes and perfects our character and Spirit!
APPLICATION: Take 10 minutes today and reflect honestly on your life, where you feel your inner character might not align fully with your outer behaviors. Write down one area where you feel tempted to appear blameless rather than being blameless. Ask God for His help in growing you to become a person whose heart and actions align.
PRAYER: Father, take my incongruencies and point them out to me. Renew my desire to be fully myself, the way You originally intended. Please help me to be a person of integrity in every area of my life. Amen.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?