Integrity Breeds Happiness! Part Four.

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Psalm 27:14

In Isaiah 40:31, the Lord commands His people to wait on Him. This is a call to integrity, as those who wait on God are not driven by their desires or agendas but by the will of God. However, this command is often ignored, as people quickly give up on God and try to fix things themselves. The lack of ‘waiting’ leads to many problems in the world today because people without integrity are constantly changing their beliefs and values to fit in with others.

Of course, waiting time is a period of sowing in tears (Psalm 126:5), where one needs to get on his knees to seek God’s face. It is a period of believing in God during trials and persecutions. However, in these periods, what should you do as a disciple of Christ that truly believes and follows him? First, it Is you to labor with integrity by letting what you have satisfy you and being faithful in whatever area God has placed you in. This is not easy work, but it can be done if you put your heart into it.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Temptations will come your way to make you lose your integrity but hold unto Jesus in honesty. Deuteronomy 16:19 says, “You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.” If you are in a position to help, do it without collecting bribes beforehand because it is better to wait for God’s timing with peace of mind. Remember, If Jesus should come today while you are waiting, will he find you to be faithful in service (Luke 18:8)? Remember, one day, the world will end.

Treat everyone with a sense of respect and dignity. Do not let your present state determine how you treat others in a way that makes them feel unworthy or undeserving of your love. Neither let your circumstances allow you to tell lies that extort the rich or take advantage of the poor. Leviticus 19:15 says, “You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.”

Prayer:
1. Oh Lord, I pray, Cast me not away from your presence, oh Lord; take not your holy spirit from me; Restore unto me the joy of your salvation and renew a right spirit within me
2. Dear Lord, help me not to be ashamed of you at your coming; give me the grace to labor with integrity in Jesus’ name. Amen