Three benefits of integrity…

Relationships are so important to us but usually the word "integrity" is used when we talk about business and finance and having integrity there.  Or when we talk about politicians and not having integrity there.  We talk about all different kinds of integrity except for personal integrity, in our families, integrity with our friends, integrity in our CHRISTian relationships.

Now the real value of integrity for relationships is that it has the power to build trust in a relationship.  And trust is what fuels a relationship.  When you and I have integrity in a relationship it builds that level of trust one to another.

Three benefits of integrity that help that level of trust to build in a relationship:

1.  Protection – less fear.  If you have less fear in a relationship it can build trust.  If I feel GOD's protection because of my integrity I will have less fear. 

Psalm 25:21 (NIV), "May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in YOU."  As long as my hope is just in my relationships, I don't have any outside protection in my life, it's not enough.  But integrity gives me a more sure foundation.

2.  Security – greater confidence.  Proverbs 10:9 (NIV), “The man of integrity walks securely”.

3.  Guidance – better decisions.  Integrity gives us a sort of internal guidance system so we can make better decisions.

Proverbs 11:3 (NIV), "The integrity of the upright guides them."

You put these three things together – protection, security, guidance – and plug them into any relationship and if you have those attitudes in your self, you have that strength in your own heart and mind in a relationship, you're going to be a strength to that relationship, rather than someone who pulls the relationship down.  You're going to be the kind of person who, because of your integrity, enables and strengthens that relationship to work.

Just a thought from the front porch…