Lead Strong: Leadership Lessons From The Bible - Part 3Sample

Leaders are Full of Integrity

Days before Easter, I stood at the edge of our platform at church chatting with our staff. As one person turned to leave, I took one small step backward. Big mistake. My heel went off the edge of the stage, and I started to fall backward. Realizing that falling backward off a 4ft platform would be all kinds of terrible, I attempted to spin around and fall forward instead. That little plummet off of the stage cost me a fractured radius, a chipped wrist, some tendon damage, and an injured shoulder.

Now, I didn’t wake up that morning and think: Today is a great day to throw myself off the stage and sideline myself for the next three months. It was just a single, tiny step in the wrong direction. One moment making the smallest wrong decision.

Likewise, no one hops out of bed one day and thinks to themselves: Today is a wonderful day to wreck my marriage. I think I’ll blow up my ministry today. What a super day to sideline myself in leadership!

Nope. But if we are not careful, we can take tiny steps lacking in integrity that can lead to complete disaster in our leadership.

Job 27:3-6 in the Message says: "But for as long as I draw breath, and for as long as God breathes life into me, I refuse to say one word that isn’t true. I refuse to confess to any charge that’s false. There is no way I’ll ever agree to your accusations. I’ll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life. I’m holding fast to my integrity and not loosening my grip - and, believe me, I’ll never regret it.”

As leaders, it is critical to “hold fast to our integrity, not ever loosening our grip on it.” And that means every tiny step and small decision matters. Telling the truth when no one knows otherwise is important. Doing the right thing when no one’s watching is vital. Keeping ourselves above reproach is paramount. Because even though integrity is a private, unseen matter, God sees.

Integrity matters. Let’s keep a white-knuckled, iron-fisted, death grip on our integrity.

Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the areas where your integrity is lacking. What intentional next step can you take to make sure you're holding fast to your integrity?

By Lori Wilhite