Integrity

The content of my thoughts has been about “Integrity” the last two days. Wednesday night Pastor Danny knocked it out of the park as he wrapped up our Crossing Over Series. He dove into the story of the Children of Israel and their first attempt at taking the city of AI. They had just had the amazing victory at Jericho and in the mist of that maybe a bit over confident in who they were rather then in the God that was the reason for their victory. Long story short – they get “their butts handed to them” in the battle against AI. The after math leaves Joshua on his face before God seeking the reason behind the defeat. I find it interesting at this point of the story that Joshua assumes there is a reason behind the defeat...you see, Joshua knew the law of cause and effect. He knew God has brought them out of Egypt; he knew that God was able to provide for their needs; he knew God brought them over the Jordan River on dry ground and had promised them the land and he knew that it was the hand of God that delivered the city of Jericho to them…Joshua knows that character of God…and know He didn’t bring them into the Promised Land to be defeated.

This is were we meet Achan. The one guy who caused the defeat of Israel because he took what didn’t belong to him at Jericho. Jericho was the tithe city (the first of 10 cities that they conquered) and God required all the spoil to be set apart for Him…and Achan decided he wanted some of it. The results were devastating. Men lost their lives, 36 men didn’t return to their wives and children…because Achan wanted the robe and gold that he saw in Jericho. The integrity of the whole was compromised because of one team member…

In light of this story I sat in Church and had to ask myself: What does my integrity cost my team? What does it cost my family? What curses have I brought on my life simply because of an area that lacks the utmost integrity? To be honest, the question would rather be avoided, but change doesn’t come when you avoid conviction…it comes when you respond and become a doer of the Word.

Proverbs 11:1

“Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight.”

The Lord delights in integrity in the area that no ones sees in your life. What you do when no one is looking. For the last four years I have asked God to establish character in my life and establish in me that character of Christ. I have found that I have to be willing to look at and adjust the little places and things that are “no big deal” to me…but are a big deal to Him.

What are the places in your life that need to be looked at and measured up against the integrity of God? How do you spend you time? Your money? What do you do with the wrong change someone gives you at the store? How do you account for your private time on a computer when no one can see what you are looking at and reading? Who are you when no one is looking? Achan thought that is greed and sin would only affect him…wrong. It caused a whole nation to be defeated. I am excited to see what blessing and breakthroughs are on the other side of the adjustment of the integrity for my life personally, for the team that I labor with in the Kingdom and for my family.