Integrity- Your Inner Strength

Said he not unto me, She is my sister? And she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this. Genesis 20:5

Here is a story of a king who took Sarah Abrahams wife to be his wife only because Abraham and Sarah both lied about their relationship with each other. The king thought she was just Abraham’s sister and so took her.

God spoke to the king in a dream and warned him to return Sarah to Abraham or he would die. The king responds to God by saying, I didn’t know she was his wife, out of the integrity of my heart I did this. Basically the king is saying, I was not acting dishonorable but was true to my values or wouldn’t have taken her.

And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. Genesis 20:6

God knows when we are walking in the integrity of our heart even if others don’t as in the case of Joseph, when Potiphar’s wife lied about him and he was put in jail (Genesis 39:14-21).

Integrity is what holds a structure up when it is under pressure. Builders will refer to the integrity of a building when determining the value of it. The greater the integrity of the building the more valuable it is. When a child of God walks with integrity he makes himself more valuable. He also puts himself in a position for God to speak to him and protect him.

King Abimelech was true to his conscience and God gave him grace. If we are going to develop inner strength and have real value then let it begin, by being true to ourselves.

Tiger Woods was asked by a reporter after his debacle with his wife how he could lie to so many people? His answer, I guess I had to lie to myself first. Let God search your heart this year and work on that inner strength called integrity. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another. Galatians 6:4

Let’s begin 2018 by strengthening our integrity, have a happy New Year!