Monday, February 15, 2010
Integrity
(I Samuel 12:1-5)
Samuel was getting on in age and— with the crowning of a king—his ministry as judge in Israel was through. He wasn’t exactly retiring; he would still conduct a powerful ministry as a prophet. He was, however, stepping aside to allow the new monarch free reign.
In his little speech to the nation, Samuel made an interesting appeal in relation to his leadership. He appealed directly to his integrity. With America in the grips of an integrity crisis, such bold rhetoric is rarely heard. In fact a new philosophy has arisen in America: personal integrity doesn’t matter; public integrity does. Of course, such thinking undermines the whole concept of integrity. One of the fundamental definitions of integrity is undivided. In other words, men of integrity are the same in public and private. The public face and the private face are one.
Samuel’s appeal to integrity centered on his fair dealing. He challenged anyone to charge him with ministering for money. He asked for any who had successfully bribed him to step forward. No one moved. Samuel’s motives were pristine in the sight of the people. Simply put, Samuel was a preacher; not a politician. Too many Christian leaders put popularity and peer-group acceptance above principle. Some, sadly, are willing to sell truth down the river for financial gain or popular standing. Samuel was not one of these. His actions reflected heart integrity. He said what he meant and he meant what he said. He was indeed a man among men!
All of this begs the question: Could we as individuals make such a challenge to our friends and acquaintances? Would they, like Samuel’s of old, unanimously testify to our integrity? If not, why not?
