"The Keys to a Blessed Life" in American Sign LanguageSample

How Integrity Blesses You
By Rick Warren

“A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone.” (Proverbs 20:7 GW)

The Bible says that God blesses those with integrity (Matthew 5:8). So what are the blessings you can expect when you live your life authentically and with a pure heart?

Personal Confidence

When you have integrity, you become the kind of person other people like to be around because you know who you are and where you’re going.

Proverbs 10:9 says, “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed” (NLT, second edition).

When you don’t have integrity, it’s like walking on an icy path after a snowstorm. You’re putting every bit of your energy into trying not to fall. When you have integrity, you’re standing on solid ground.

A Lasting Legacy

Your greatest legacy is your integrity because it will last from generation to generation. Everything else that you do gets lost. When you’re gone, your money will be divided among your family, and it’s going to be spent. Your work will be given to somebody else. All the trophies you’ve earned will be thrown in the trash and taken to the dump.

But your character is going to be translated into the lives of the people around you and then into the lives of the next generation. It is a lasting legacy.

The Bible says in Proverbs 20:7, “A righteous person lives on the basis of his integrity. Blessed are his children after he is gone” (GW).

Rewards in Eternity

Matthew 25:21 says, “You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things” (NCV).

We tend to think that the rewards are in the big moments of life, where everybody is watching. But it’s in the small moments that you show real integrity. Every small word of encouragement you give this next week will be rewarded eternally. Every small act of kindness will be rewarded in eternity. Every time you reject a temptation, you will be rewarded in eternity.

That’s the power of integrity and the difference it makes not just here but for eternity!

Talk It Over

Think of a time when you should have had integrity but didn’t. What were the effects on you emotionally, spiritually, and physically?

How does your integrity make a difference in the next generation?

What small acts can you do this week that no one will notice but will demonstrate your integrity to God?