Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

Meditations for Ragamuffins

September 11, 2023

Exercising Integrity at the Moment of Decision

 

A person’s pride will bring humiliation, but one who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

Proverbs 29:23 NRSV

God helps those who help themselves! Most Christians know this witticism is neither included in the Bible’s Book of Proverbs, nor is it even consistent with biblical teaching. Jesus teaches us that “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5). Saint Peter added his two cents by quoting Proverb 3:34 when he wrote, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor”” (1 Peter 5:5b-6).

In the NLT, there are more than sixty references to the word pride, and by far most of them are negative. Perhaps the most fulfilled of all biblical teachings is Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” I am reminded of the story of the Old Master and his young disciple. The young disciple was seeking to eliminate anything in his life that might distract him from full and complete devotion to God. Finally, the day came when he stood before the Old Master and lifted up to him his empty hands. The Old Master said to the young disciple, “Give me your empty hands also.”

As the followers of Jesus, we are called to be proactive builders for the Kingdom of God, not passive bystanders in life. To accomplish our mission, we want to learn how to balance our proactive Kingdom building life with the humility that is the foundation of our right-standing with God. There is such a balance between humiliation and honor in King Solomon’s proverb. It is this balance that provides for the meek to inherit the earth as God lifts in honor those who humble themselves under his mighty power.

My Takeaway: I believe each of us must find our own way of balancing our proactive Christian life while maintaining lowliness of spirit. I have found two axioms that help me in this task. First, I try to be ever mindful of exercising integrity at the moment of decision. Secondly, I apply a part of my wedding vows to Cheryl, when we exchanged rings, to my relationship with my Abba: “With all that I am and all that I have, I honor you.”

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.