Integrity: A Christ-like Quality Church Leaders Need
Leaders, are you able to say, "Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity" (2 Cor. 1:12)? That speaks of a genuineness, not pretending to be something we aren't. It's staying true to what we say we believe and what we instruct others to do. For that to happen, we must be "relying not on worldly wisdom but on God's grace" (2 Cor. 1:12). This is Christ-like integrity as Jesus came to this earth full of both grace and truth (Jn. 1:14). "Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given." (Jn. 1:16)
What We Can Learn from Jesus' Life on Earth About Integrity
Some men approached Jesus, saying "we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are." (Matt. 22:16)
- Others took notice of Jesus' integrity. There was a truthfulness that marked not only His teaching but also the essence of who He was ... "you are a man of integrity".
... Integrity is an internal quality that outwardly manifests itself in all we do.
- His integrity exhibited itself in not being swayed to divert from truth because of what others thought. He stayed true. People mattered to Jesus but staying true to God mattered more than what people thought about Him.
... Christ-like integrity doesn't compromise even if it means going against popular opinion.
- Though perceived as a man of integrity, Jesus had critics. Those who said "we know that you are a man of integrity" were trying to trap Him into saying or doing something that would break His integrity.
... Being leaders with integrity doesn't mean everyone will love us. To the contrary, we might face criticism or even persecution. "The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity and seek to kill the upright." (Prov. 29:10)
Christ-like Integrity Greatly Benefits Church Leaders
While Christ-like integrity may not always make leaders loved by all, it does reap benefits from God. We experience the following:
closeness to God - Because of my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever. (Ps. 41:12)
guidance - The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. (Prov. 11:3)
His pleasure - I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. 1 Chron. 29:17
protection - May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord, is in you. (Ps. 25:21)
security - Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. (Prov. 10:9)
vindication - Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. (Ps. 7:8)
What leader doesn't need all of these benefits?
If we want to make a real difference, skill alone isn't enough. God took David, of the Old Testament, from tending sheep to shepherding His people because of what was in his heart, not because of his outward appearance or ability (1 Sam. 16:7). And so we read, "David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them" (Ps. 78:72).
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