How can I develop integrity?

Proverbs 2:1-2, 5, 9My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. . . . Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. . . . Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.

We can develop personal integrity by learning wisdom from God. The more we understand and obey what he says is just, right, and fair, the more we will develop integrity.

Proverbs 1:3Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair.

Proverbs 16:11The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; he sets the standards for fairness.

We can develop personal integrity by studying God’s Word to discover his standards for integrity.

Numbers 13:30-33Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”

Numbers 14:24“My servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others have. He has remained loyal to me, so I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their full share of that land.”

Deuteronomy 1:35-36“When the Lord heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore, ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’”

Proverbs 11:3, 5Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. . . . The godly are directed by honesty; the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

Luke 16:10“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”

2 Corinthians 4:2We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this.

We develop personal integrity when we are honest in all our dealings with other people, even when we are in the minority. We must practice integrity daily.

1 Timothy 1:5The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

1 Timothy 4:12Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

2 Timothy 2:21If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

Those who want to be used for godly purposes must commit themselves to a life of integrity.