Unimpaired Integrity

Websters dictionary defines integrity as "unimpaired moral principles." I wonder what life would be like if I had unimpaired moral principles. You know the kind I'm talking about, right? Moral principles that are always, always, always consistent! Moral principles that don't waiver, despite ever eroding cultural values. Moral principles that don't shift to suit my many "reasons" for doing, or better yet, not doing a particular thing.

There is a story in Genesis 20:1-18 that displays the opposite of unimpaired moral principle. This is a story of Abraham who is acting in "some" truth, but not complete truth . . . and he does so out of fear for his own life. His first concern is NOT that of his wife Sarah. Instead, it's as if he says "so what if she is taken to the bed of some foreign king, just so long as the king doesn't kill me in order to have my beautiful wife, as his own. Abraham didn't trust God to protect him. He didn't trust God to be big enough to take care of all of his life situations . . . and so often . . . neither do I. As much as I'd like to think otherwise, I know it's true, that my moral principles are impaired. No, not all the time, and, not even most of the time. But, certainly there ARE times when I don't obey the speed limit; times when I justify my actions because my actions weren't Godly; and times when I am quick to look down my nose at one of God's creation! I can be judgement, critical and inhospitable. I can be closed-minded, self centered and like Abraham, I can be . . . much afraid!!

Taking our life situations into our own hands is the first step away from integrity and into impairment. Our judgements are impaired; our decisions are impaired and our results are impaired! They are NOT whole, they are not undivided and they are NOT sound. Sound decisions come from operating out of integrity and integrity grows out of trusting God for EVERYTHING! What a concept . . . yes?

Ahhh, but the grace of God in this story, as in my own story, is that in spite of myself, God intervenes and changes the outcome, so that what could have been turns out to be what should have been! Sarah was not compromised; Abraham wasn't killed and Abimelech wasn't cursed. Read the story, it is a beautiful testimony of how God turns events around for us; His terribly flawed; incredibly impaired; and all but trusting, people. One thing is for sure, one may not be able to count on me . . . but one can always count on God!