When we live a life of integrity, we know we are pleasing to God and can sleep better at night. On the other hand, a lack of integrity brings God’s displeasure and causes anxiety and fear in the heart of the person.

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight. Proverbs 11:1

If we were to measure our integrity based on what people around us are doing, we may look very upright and moral. However, the world continues to go downhill morally, and they cannot be the measuring stick or the standard for integrity. Living a life of integrity requires us to learn God’s instructions and apply them to our lives.

The truth is that while integrity is not a highly esteemed value in our society, we cannot afford to live without it. We need to trust people with their skills to provide a safe and good service, and others expect the same thing from us.

For example, when you take your car to a mechanic, you are trusting that they have changed the parts they charged you for and that your car is safe to drive.  If you go to a restaurant, you trust that they have done their due diligence to have a clean environment, and they have washed and prepared the food properly before serving you the meal. If you are married, you need to trust each other and know that your spouse is being honest in all areas of their lives. We all want people to use just weights when they are dealing with us. No one wants to be cheated, lied to, or taken advantage of.

The above scripture tells us that God is pleased with those who act rightly, but He sees dishonesty as an abomination. It’s interesting how so many Christians can quickly talk about other people’s abominable lifestyles, but they generally do not think of dishonesty as an abominable sin. 

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. Psalm 119:1 (NLT)

One of the characteristics of someone with integrity is joy. Because they follow God’s instructions and know that they are pleasing to God, there is joy in their lives. The Joy and the peace of God go hand-in-hand. We can have a peaceful life when we live in integrity. It is estimated that 33% to 50% of the population deals with chronic insomnia. I wonder if some of it is related to lack of integrity and the torment that it brings.

Furthermore, as God’s people, our integrity has to be non-negotiable. Our honesty can win other people’s trust.  At first, they may not like us, assuming that we are Bible thumpers and judgmental people. However, if we are living with integrity and the joy of the Lord, they’ll eventually be able to see the truth about our lives. They will see that we just want to please God and live a simple life of integrity and humility before God.

Joseph is a good example of a man with integrity. He paid a price to remain a person of integrity, but he continued to remain steady in Character and integrity. This pleased God and opened the door for Joseph to get elevated to the second-highest in command in Egypt.

Living a life of integrity keeps our conscience clear, and we are not tormented or in anguish about living a hypocritical life. While integrity has a cost associated with it, there is a great joy to know that we are living life according to God’s precepts and we are pleasing Him with our lives!

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