Integrity and Trust
When it comes to having good relationships with other people, and even with God, there are two indispensable elements: integrity and trust. It seems to me that if either person fails to exhibit these qualities, the relationship will not grow, and it might die completely.
Integrity is doing what we say we will do. It is showing a mature character by having a strong sense of right and wrong, and then, doing the right thing. It is being consistent in our behavior, so that people can know who were are no matter the situations of life. I do not think integrity comes easy. It is a commitment to living life with discipline, and that is difficult for all of us. However, it is possible, and it is God's desire to help us to be people of integrity. That is why the Holy Spirit is commissioned to convict the world (everyone) of sin, righteousness, and judgment.(John 16:7-11) The Holy Spirit leads us to be people of integrity, but it is up to us to exercise the will to listen to the Spirit. It all begins by knowing Christ and growing from there.
Then, there is trust. If one person is unwilling or unable to trust the other person, the relationship will fail to prosper. Sometimes, the lack of trust is due to the lack of integrity on the part of the other person. However, sometimes, the lack of being able to trust comes from a person's background. In our society there are so many dysfunctional families, and there are so many people who never come to listen to the Spirit's conviction. Therefore, they treat people badly on a consistent basis. They lie, steal, and hurt people with their anger. A person who grows up in that environment has a hard time trusting other people. They think that everyone is like the people they encountered growing up. They must come to trust Jesus and the Spirit to develop the character of Jesus in them, so they can trust other people the way they trusted Jesus.
It has been my observation, though, that is is very hard for people who are raised in that environment to trust Jesus, too. They need for a Christian to show them the love of Christ and to show them that people can be trusted. Then, when they see that this character comes from knowing Christ and the power of the Spirit, the person can come to trust Jesus. Again, we see the need for integrity and trust in relationships. The good thing is that Jesus has the highest integrity, and He will never let anyone down. He is completely trustworthy.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 110-112 and I Corinthians 5.
Integrity is doing what we say we will do. It is showing a mature character by having a strong sense of right and wrong, and then, doing the right thing. It is being consistent in our behavior, so that people can know who were are no matter the situations of life. I do not think integrity comes easy. It is a commitment to living life with discipline, and that is difficult for all of us. However, it is possible, and it is God's desire to help us to be people of integrity. That is why the Holy Spirit is commissioned to convict the world (everyone) of sin, righteousness, and judgment.(John 16:7-11) The Holy Spirit leads us to be people of integrity, but it is up to us to exercise the will to listen to the Spirit. It all begins by knowing Christ and growing from there.
Then, there is trust. If one person is unwilling or unable to trust the other person, the relationship will fail to prosper. Sometimes, the lack of trust is due to the lack of integrity on the part of the other person. However, sometimes, the lack of being able to trust comes from a person's background. In our society there are so many dysfunctional families, and there are so many people who never come to listen to the Spirit's conviction. Therefore, they treat people badly on a consistent basis. They lie, steal, and hurt people with their anger. A person who grows up in that environment has a hard time trusting other people. They think that everyone is like the people they encountered growing up. They must come to trust Jesus and the Spirit to develop the character of Jesus in them, so they can trust other people the way they trusted Jesus.
It has been my observation, though, that is is very hard for people who are raised in that environment to trust Jesus, too. They need for a Christian to show them the love of Christ and to show them that people can be trusted. Then, when they see that this character comes from knowing Christ and the power of the Spirit, the person can come to trust Jesus. Again, we see the need for integrity and trust in relationships. The good thing is that Jesus has the highest integrity, and He will never let anyone down. He is completely trustworthy.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Psalms 110-112 and I Corinthians 5.