Monthly Archives: January 2024

Does Integrity Still Matter?

Posted on by under Christian Living, Current Events
Photo by Rosemary Ketchum on Pexels.com

            There was a time when a man’s word was his bond.  He would never think of violating that standard to go back on what he had said.  Those days seem to be long in the dust.  As what may be the longest political campaign for the presidency of these United States begins, one wonders where integrity has gone.  Our current batch of politicians will seemingly say anything in order to procure votes for themselves or for their particular brand.  One day they will hurl an endless barrage of insults against their opponents only to clap them on the back the next day when they have dropped out and endorsed the mudslinger.  Additionally, there are calls to prosecute and lock up opponents when those making the accusations are equally guilty of said offense.  Where is the integrity?  Where is the honesty?  Is it okay to be a total hypocrite and accept what ‘our guy’ is doing and attack ‘their guy’ for the same?

            We may wonder what God would think about all this.  If we consult His word, however, we wouldn’t have to wonder for long.  The principles are there in the Old Testament writings.  Integrity, honesty, and righteousness are all to be desired.  David wrote, “The LORD judges the peoples; vindicate me, O LORD, for the righteousness and blamelessness that are mine. Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; he who probes the mind and conscience is God the righteous” (Psalm 7:9-10).  Solomon also penned these words, “The integrity of the upright guides them; The deviousness of the treacherous leads them to ruin” (Proverbs 11:3).  God is not pleased when we abandon what He says is right or wrong because we think that it will earn us money, fame, or power.  “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity Than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool” (Proverbs 19:1).

            Our political system has become so convoluted that we just accept that this is the way it is.  We expect our leaders to lie to us and stretch the truth.  We expect them to promise us what we know in reality they cannot deliver.  They too know that they cannot deliver while they are making the promises.  We’ve come a long way from letting our ‘yes’ mean yes and our ‘no’ mean no.  Then we sit back and wonder why we don’t have any better candidates to choose from.  What honest person in their right mind would want to dive into this polluted pool?

            So what’s the answer?  What should we do?  Jesus never taught us to worry about politics per se.  To overcome the worries that we might have Jesus says that we must seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).  We need to focus on doing what is right.  Upholding and defending those who practice iniquity just because they are on our side of the political aisle is not the righteousness of God.  We need to pray for our leaders and hope that they will do what is right, no matter what letter is behind their name. ”Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

    Before you say that you cannot pray for our leaders because of how evil they might be, just keep in mind that when Paul penned the words above to pray for the authorities Nero was Emperor of Rome.  If Paul could pray for that guy, we can pray for our leaders now.  God wants for all men to be saved.  Let us direct our energy towards that endeavor instead.

As Daniel Purposed in His Heart

Posted on by under Christian Living

            Do you remember what it was like to be a teenager, and to have to face the constant peer pressure of those who were around you?  Just imagine what it would be like to have to spend those years in a foreign country, where you might have very little say over what you could or could not do.  Imagine how difficult that would be in our youthful years.

            This was the case with Daniel and his friends, who were taken captive by the Babylonians in 606 – 605 BC, when they were likely only about 14 or 15 years old.  Yet, even in a foreign land as a captive, Daniel had a resolve to not defile himself.  Notice what is recorded about him, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8).  In this verse, Daniel resolves not to defile himself with the king’s food or wine.

            Daniel’s decision to abstain from the king’s food and wine was not just a matter of personal preference.  It was a matter of faith.  Daniel was committed to following the Mosaic Law, which prohibited the eating of certain food (Leviticus 11).  This could not have been an easy decision, but Daniel purposed in his heart ahead of time, before the temptations would have come, to do the Lord’s will.  Daniel was in a foreign land surrounded by others who did not share his beliefs.  The peer pressure would have been great to go along to get along.  However, Daniel remained faithful, and God rewarded him for it (Daniel 1:9, 17).

            Daniel’s resolve is a great example for us to remember to stand up for what God wants, even when it may be difficult – even when surrounded by non-believers.  When we purpose in our hearts to do what is right, we will be less likely to compromise godly values and beliefs, no matter what it costs us.  Remember, it is more important to be Christlike than to be popular.

Rules For Thee, But Not For Me

Posted on by under Christian Living, Culture

               It has been reported in the news lately that the now former president of Harvard University has had some issues with plagiarism in her academic career.  Some have made a big deal over this, since Harvard is a very prestigious institution with rigid guidelines for their students.  Others have blown it off or have claimed racism as a reason for unwarranted persecution.  Is this a big deal?  What is plagiarism?  What does this say about the state of morality in our nation as a whole?

               Plagiarism is the lifting of text or ideas from someone else’s writing without giving proper credit for such to the original author.  It is one of those ten-dollar words that we might not be exposed to if we are outside of the realm of academia.  It is not some small thing, however.  Plagiarism is basically the theft of intellectual property.  It is stealing.  As such, if you plagiarize in your term papers in most colleges and universities, you will be asked to leave.  Apparently at Harvard, while students are subject to this rule, faculty members are exempt.  One can even rise to University President after plagiarizing.

               When we see that the rules do not apply to everyone equally, that goes against what we believe is fair.  This is especially so when it is those who are supposed to be enforcing the rules.  There is a scripture for that.  Paul wrote in Romans 2:21, “You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal?”  God’s word does not endorse a policy of do as I say and not as I do. 

               If we are going to be successful in teaching lost souls about the salvation that is in Christ and Christ alone, then we cannot be hypocritical.  Do as I say and not as I do doesn’t work in the home (children will see through this in a moment); it does not work in the school; and it will not work in the church.  We must practice what we preach.  We cannot just talk the talk; we must walk the walk.  “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’ lest you fall into judgment” (James 5:12). 

    Jesus admonished the religious leaders of His day for basically doing the very same thing as the leaders at Harvard.  “And He said, ‘Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers’” (Luke 11:46).  They were good at making difficult requirements that they had no intention of keeping themselves. 

    Let us not be like them!  Let us be genuine so that we will not be a burden to those who are outside (1 Thes. 4:9-12).  Life is difficult enough without us making it harder.  We need to set the right kind of example. We should be one who is not only proclaiming the word of God, but who is also adhering to the commandments of the Lord.  Let us understand that God’s rules apply to all of us, no matter who we are.