The Connection Between Integrity And Security

While at my dentist appointment the other day, the hygienist and I were talking (well, she did most of the talking because my mouth was pried open) about how crazy the world is right now. Later that evening as I was scanning the news and every talking head was explaining the horrors of war, hate, evil, corruption, etc., yet posing no real solution—I began to question God. 

What’s the answer for maintaining any modicum of security in this chaos? 

How do I prepare for the future—do I sell everything and move? 

Indeed, even in the rural area where I live, crazy people are showing up on my doorstep, talking nonsense, and strung out on drugs. I said, “Lord, our nation, and indeed, the entire world, seems to be reeling out of control and the problems are simply too big for me to even grasp, much less solve!”

And the more I thought about the vastness of the problems, the more fearful I became.

Well, God is so good to answer our prayers. He impressed upon me to read from the book of Proverbs. As I read, a wonderful theme of great hope emerged—an answer for my fear—in God’s wonderful Word! My friend, when we are born again, the Holy Spirit dwells within us and wants to guide us; but we must do our part to discover His guidance! We must be studying His Word to constantly reinforce that God’s truth is the only truth worth trusting. All other “truths” being spouted from every source simply cannot compare. 

God’s Word is powerful beyond comparison!

Below are some of the excerpts I read. As you read them, identify the one recurring quality we are instructed to build, and note how it INCREASES our SENSE of SECURITY for navigating life —all from Proverbs Chapter ten:

• Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.
• The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.
• The memory of the righteous is blessed, but the name of the wicked will rot. 
• He who walks with integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will become known. 
• The labor of the righteous leads to life, the wages of the wicked to sin. 
• The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom. 
• The fear of the wicked will come upon him, and the desire of the righteous will be granted. 
• When the whirlwind passes by, the wicked is no more, but the righteous has an everlasting foundation. 
• The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish. 
• The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 
• The righteous will never be removed, but the wicked will not inhabit the earth.

‭Proverbs‬ ‭10‬

Do you see the pervasive quality we must possess in order to build a sense of security? 

When we seek to live in God’s righteous ways [NOT self-righteousness] rather, integrity built upon the humble attitude that it is God alone who empowers us to live right—we live in security. We can’t live in HIS ways without Him. But when we do live in His ways, His promises are—deliverance, abundance, security, blessings, life, wisdom, satisfaction, joy, strength, etc. Verse 9 says it plainly: “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely.” When we are walking in God’s ways of righteousness, we are walking close to Him. God is Lord over all—He is not insecure. When we know He is near; we WILL dwell in ultimate security! 

“The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” 

Psalms 145:17-18

God’s Integrity is an all or nothing proposition. 

Truth is truth. Any area of compromise from His truth is like a small hole in a hidden part of a powerful ship. It will eventually cause the ship to sink. It doesn’t matter how powerful or beautiful the ship, because the ocean water does not discriminate based upon the size or location of a hole. When we compromise our integrity in any area of our life, we create a hole. Every area of our life does matter—personal, professional, family, financial, and most importantly—our thought life—which is usually where sin begins. All areas are susceptible to penetration by the waters of sin. We cannot buy into the lie that our private or hidden sins don’t hurt anyone. The truth is that they hurt us because they separate us from a strong sense of the presence of our Almighty Father. Sin ALWAYS separates us from a strong sense of security.

Living in the righteous ways of God draws us close to Him—and this is where we experience our greatest sense of security.