“Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways.” Proverbs 28:6
Devotional Thought For The Day
The comparison is apt, for integrity often becomes a casualty for those who seek to become rich. And while integrity is a critical component for building a lasting and sustainable business, integrity can get in the way of quick wealth acquisition. There are times when just a little lie here or there, just a little distortion of reality – undetectable to a less sophisticated client – can close a lucrative deal. The difficulty is keeping track of all the lies and distortions and keeping up the misinformation without getting caught in a lie. Another difficulty is the temptation to continue this strategy with other clients. If it worked once, there will be times when the compulsion to do so again is irresistible. Soon the whole business is built on fraud and misrepresentation, and sooner or later the whole thing implodes. And unless one is utterly heartless and without conscience, ill-gotten gains are not spent without some remorse and reservation. Often justice, or at least punishment, is applied even in this life. And we know what awaits the impenitent in the next life.
The same is true in relationships – the comparison of integrity with being “crooked” in one’s ways. We encounter this from time to time, “friends” who do not want honesty and integrity, and the accompanying humility that this brings, but rather fawning and flattery and even approval for their evil deeds. And there are times when we are stung by the integrity of others, and angered by their honesty. We may also want reputations that exceed our actual abilities and accomplishments. The “Peter Principle” is built upon this kind of “inflation.” Genuine relationships of love are safe and secure even knowing the truth about one another; “crooked” and dishonest dynamics build an impenetrable wall between people so that no true friendship can exist at all. Sadly, even marriages can be built upon such “crookedness.” What a waste of time and opportunity!
In our relationship with God, nothing but integrity will do. God has this advantage, that He knows all things, sees all things, and cannot be fooled by our crooked ways. How sad and laughable it must be to Him when we pray in crooked ways, hiding our sin and guilt, hiding our hypocritical agendas, parading our self-righteous religiosity, as if we can manipulate Him in the same way that we do others. But God does not play these charades with us. In response to all of this – which began with Adam and Eve, and later with Cain, God entered into human experience in the incarnation of His beloved Son. He experienced the reality of pain and death and eternal separation from God for us – with full integrity, making atonement for the sins of the world and redeeming us back to Himself. He did this so that we would have no obstacle, no fear in having a relationship of complete integrity with Him – repenting of our sins, fully and honestly confessing them to Him, and receiving not what we deserve but His gracious forgiveness, mercy, compassion and love. This creates a real and genuine relationship with God – without any “walls” of lies and distortions, a relationship of love which is safe and secure even though we know the truth about one another – He knows our sin-infected nature, and we know His perfect love and complete salvation. Only this relationship produces death for our sinful nature and renewal in love, reflection in us of the true nature of God.
As we contemplate the events surrounding the death of Jesus our Savior and Lord, let us do so with utter honesty and integrity, so that we may enter more fully into His great love for us. God already knows our hearts – it can do no harm to our relationship with Him to fully bear ourselves to Him, to truthfully confess our sin and sinfulness to Him. It can only do us good, for God is love, and nothing can separate us from His love [Rom. 8:31-39; John 10:28-30] – and so we are able in this way alone to have a real and genuine relationship with Him. And this is exactly what He desires for us, and works to create with us. Issues of wealth and poverty aside, the real contrast is between integrity and “crookedness,” dishonesty. This is what Christ came to provide, reconciliation with God that restores real relationship with Him, for this is eternal life [Jn. 17:3]. May His love compel us to seize this opportunity and draw us closer to Him.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, our sinful nature constantly hides reality even from ourselves, in habitual and compulsive lying and deceit, rationalizing and justifying our sin and our crooked ways. This keeps us from properly knowing You and Your love, and denudes us of knowing the joy of Your salvation. It also shrinks our opportunities for Your love to transform us into Your image. We know that You forgive us, that You have taken away all our sins. Burn away our incessant hypocrisy and grant us peace in Your love. Help us to have genuine relationship at least with You, and as we grow in faith, also with others. Amen.