Proverbs 11:1

A pastor I once knew told me of a time when he was given incorrect change at a restaurant; 25 cents too much to be exact. He didn’t realize the error until he was counting his change while walking to his car. He went back inside the restaurant and presented the cashier with a quarter, explaining the mistake. The cashier was happily surprised by the man’s honesty, and asked him, “Why did you bother coming back to give me this?” The pastor replied, “Because my integrity is worth more to me than 25 cents.”

The way we handle the details of our interactions with others may seem trivial to us at times, but it matters to the Lord. Making a conscious effort to maintain honest integrity actually brings delight to the God that we serve. Think about that for a moment.

Today, let’s refuse to justify the selfish secrets and “little white lies” that the world tells us are acceptable. By the power of His Spirit, may we have the courage to make integrity as important to us as it is to our Heavenly Father.

Jeff Deal