The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.
Proverbs 10:9

Ever have the scenario where you are playing a game and you see a camper get out, but he doesn’t leave the game? So you gently say that they are out. But instead of saying okay, the response is, “She didn’t tag me,” or, “I wasn’t hit.” 

What happens on staff when a director asks who forgot to lock the supply closet?

Or who snuck into the kitchen last night?

Or whose turn was it to do rounds last night? It can be tempting to say stuff like, “It wasn’t me,” “I asked so-and-so to do it,” or, “I had a camper emergency.” 

We can ponder the loss of various virtues in our culture over the past decades and wonder what happened to character traits like honesty, humility, sincerity, and honor. As we slip further into a post-Christian culture where the influence of biblical truth is pushed aside in favor of materialism and other such -isms, we will find virtues that are celebrated in short supply. 

Integrity is a word that some probably don’t even know. It isn’t so much a virtue itself as it is the collection of virtues. It encompasses honesty and goodness and honor. It reflects a life that is selfless and above reproach. A person of integrity is one who does his or her work well and is dependable. 

Today’s wise proverb teaches that a person of integrity lives securely, meaning they don’t live in fear of being caught. This is because people of integrity don’t mind being examined or exposed. It doesn’t mean they are free from mistakes or sin, but it does mean that integrity defines their core. When they mess up, rather than covering over their mistakes or denying or blaming someone else, they confess it and admit it. 

The staff member with integrity says, “Yeah, I forgot to lock the closet.” She doesn’t make excuses for not making rounds last night and asks for forgiveness. When the Holy Spirit convicts, she fesses up to sneaking into the kitchen and makes it right.