Integrity

Integrity - Doing the right thing, even when nobody else is looking.

Maybe we should change that definition to ESPECIALLY when nobody else is looking!  If you are a follower of Jesus then you know the truth - God sees it all.  So now for the $100 question...knowing that, why do we struggle to choose to do the right thing?

I don't know about anyone else, but I seem to be stuck.  I want what I want, I want it now, and I really want it sooner than that but now will be good enough!  My selfishness...my desire...my flesh takes over at times and I just want to give myself what I desire instead of what I understand is best for me based on the Word of God.

What I have learned over my short time of walking with Jesus is that I will ALWAYS be stuck in this position until I do something freaky.  It is so freaky I have to break it down into steps or else people, especially men, will go running into the streets and throw themselves under a bus.

1.  I need to put myself under the leadership and authority of Jesus Christ - Faith - This is the first step to transformation.

2.  I need to put myself under the leadership and accountability of other people (usually of the same gender) who will help me struggle through the process.

3.  I have to be honest with Jesus AND the other people I am submitting to by telling them what I am struggling with so they can help me.

4.  I have to be willing to listen to the counsel of the Holy Spirit AND of the Men (or Women) who God has brought into my life for the purpose of equipping and encouraging in the right way to go.

Nobody likes to be told what to do.  However, if left up to our own devices, at least in my own experience, we will often choose the wrong path.  God put us together for a reason - it was best for our growth.  We just need to choose to do the best things to help us grow, instead of what we may really feel like doing.

What does this look like for you?