Integrity- WAIT IT OUT- Friday
Integrity
by
Rocky Fleming
Friday - Wait It Out
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall: but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31 NIV)
I absolutely love the passage above. I memorized it several years ago. I speak it, I encourage other believers with it, and I am reminded of the truths in it to this day. It is a powerful reminder that waiting on the Lord to act on our behalf will reward us with His favor to get through a challenge. If we are to live with personal integrity, then we will be challenged by this world and the system it represents. In fact, our challenge to live with our integrity may get us fired, get us ridiculed, get us overlooked when we deserve better, it will require that we serve others over our self and we will likely be mistreated in the process. Our integrity may even lead to our persecution because we will not bow before a false god that wants to suck our life into its system. It would be easier to simply join it. As an example, it starts to be a challenge early for children who want to live morally pure lives. They are overwhelmed with advertisements, movies, TV programs and a liberal crowd who sneers and laughs at their desire to live with purity. These young adults are made to feel as outcasts, or weird, or puritanical simply because they will not go along with the crowd and join the system. Their integrity is challenged early on.
In business there is similar peer pressure to get ahead at all costs. Rather than rewarding a man for his family priorities and the stability it brings to his life and then that stability to his work, instead inordinate demands are placed on him to bow to a god that wants to be worshipped at work. This is the god of mammon, and it is also identified as the love of money and what money buys or measures. This god leaves no room for balance or family. It wants to consume a man. I've heard all kinds of arguments made to defend this out of bound obsession with wealth accumulation, or achieving success or "winning at all costs." But at the end of the day, it is a system of measurement that challenges a man's integrity with his priorities, his love and quality of time with family, and his peace. He has pressure to join a hectic obsession that demands allegiance to this false god. Now I understand that this is to be expected by someone who doesn't know the Living God and serves that false god. But it should not be expected for a follower of Jesus. Here is what Jesus said about it:
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26 ESV)
I can just visualize Jesus saying these words and shrugging His shoulders as if to say, "It just doesn't make good sense for you to do this." Guys, it doesn't make sense if you look through a disciple's grid, for the health of our soul is much more important than the health of our bank account. But it makes perfect sense in a culture driven by a love for money, pride and ego. As a disciple it will also not make sense with many, many other things in our culture that are a contrast to the teachings of Christ, whether it is on the playground, in schools, between families and church, in business, politics and so on. Christianity has never made sense in a culture, for Jesus was counter-cultural in His day, and His teachings are counter to our culture today. Therefore, if you stand on your principles and maintain your integrity as you live in this culture, you will be challenged. But God assures you that He knows, He cares, He is willing, and He is able to help you. Ask for His help. Wait for Him, and trust Him. He will show up, and He will give you the ability to endure until He does. He will reward your integrity.
As referenced in the scripture above, when you process through a trial, you may only be able to walk through it, but you will get through it with God's help. Then you will run through it, for your faith will grow and you will be made stronger. But you are not there yet. There is more. Wait for it, for it will surely come. Wait for it and this is what will happen. It is promised. This is what it says:
"They will soar on wings like eagles"
That is where God is taking you. He is teaching you how to fly, and rise above the system of this world, and to soar with Him. But you must keep your integrity intact or you will remain earthbound. Never forfeit your integrity, for those are your wings. Fly my brothers fly!