The Illusive Life of Integrity

A Psalm of David.

1 Vindicate me, O Lord,
    for I have walked in my integrity,
    and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
    test my heart and my mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
    and I walk in your faithfulness.

4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,
    nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
    and I will not sit with the wicked.

6 I wash my hands in innocence
    and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
    and telling all your wondrous deeds.

8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
    and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
    nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
    and whose right hands are full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
    redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
    in the great assembly I will bless the Lord. – Psalm 26:1-12 ESV

There are times when David comes across as a bit full of himself, and this Psalm is a case in point. He begins by asking God to affirm his innocence, and as proof, he makes some rather bold claims.

I have acted with integrity;
    I have trusted in the Lord without wavering… – Psalm 26:1 NLT

For I am always aware of your unfailing love,
    and I have lived according to your truth.
I do not spend time with liars
    or go along with hypocrites.
I hate the gatherings of those who do evil,
    and I refuse to join in with the wicked.
I wash my hands to declare my innocence.
    I come to your altar, O Lord – Psalm 26:3-6 NLT

The first half of this Psalm reads like a transcript from a trial, with David, the accused, standing before the Judge’s bench and declaring his innocence. Facing false accusations from unnamed sources, David is desperate to have God examine the facts of the case. Despite the damaging allegations leveled against him, David remains confident that God will acquit him of all wrongdoing. 

As proof, David asserts his seemingly sterling character, portraying himself as a virtual icon of virtue. But David is not bragging. These are not the words of a self-righteous moralist claiming to live in sinless perfection. He is simply attempting to establish what sets himself apart from his enemies. His words are more of an indictment of them than they are a declaration of David’s spiritual superiority. He is far from perfect, and yet, despite his many shortcomings, he remains faithful to God. He has tried to live according to God’s truth and has refused to consort with those whose lives are marked by wickedness. David may lie, but he isn't pathological about it. Occasionally, he could be hypocritical, but he didn't make a habit of it.    

David could say, “I live with integrity” (Psalm 26:11 NLT). But what does that mean? What was he claiming? He said he had acted or literally “walked” (lived his life) with integrity. In the Hebrew language, the word is tom, and it refers to completeness or wholeness. To live with integrity is to live a life that is non-compartmentalized. There is no such thing as the secular-sacred split. A person who lives in integrity allows the things of God to impact and influence every area of their life, including their home, work, leisure time, recreation, relationships, finances, etc.

There is no area in his life for which someone might be able to point their finger and level an accusation of impropriety or ungodly behavior. It is the same idea found in the qualifications for an elder or deacon in 1 Timothy. 

If someone aspires to be an elder, he desires an honorable position. So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? An elder must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap. In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity. They must not be heavy drinkers or dishonest with money. They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. Before they are appointed as deacons, let them be closely examined. If they pass the test, then let them serve as deacons. – 1 Timothy 3:1-10 NLT

A life of integrity does not require sinless perfection. However, it does demand that one conduct their life with motives and attitudes marked by a desire to do what God would have them do. It displays a love for the things of God rather than the things of this world. A person of integrity is willing to trust God with every aspect of their life, dedicating every facet of it to His service and not holding back anything for their own selfish pleasures or desires.

As David indicates, a life of integrity is motivated by God’s unfailing love and is a logical response to His grace and mercy. A person of integrity knows their life does not belong to them but to God. It is not for them to use as they see fit. That is why David refused to associate with liars and hypocrites. He wanted nothing to do with those who do evil. The thought of aligning himself with the wicked was repulsive to him. A person of integrity would rather spend time with God and His people than anyone else. It is a life marked by separateness and set-apartness, not compromise and convenience. This is why David could say, “Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me” (Psalm 26:2 NLT). He was willing to allow God to test the purity of his faithfulness and the validity of his integrity.

What about us? Could our integrity stand up to the heat of God’s scrutiny? Is our life characterized more by compartmentalization or wholeness? Are there any areas of our lives we refuse to let God control? Because of the integrity of his life, David found himself standing on a firm footing. He trusted in the integrity of God and placed his hope in Him. He had seen God to be faithful and true.  God had proven Himself to be anything but compartmentalized in His relationship with and reaction to David.  So David was willing to live for God’s glory in every area of his life.

The apostle Paul described this kind of life to the believers in Rome.

I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. – Romans 12:1 NLT

God wants a complete or whole sacrifice – not partial. His Son died to redeem all of us, not part of us. To live a life of integrity is to surrender your whole life to God because His Son gave His life to redeem all of you.

Jesus put it this way:

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” – Matthew 16:24-26 NLT

The words of the old chorus, “I Surrender All,” seem appropriate here.

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all

Father, I want my life to be marked by integrity — not the worldly, human version, but the biblical one. I want every area of my life to be Yours. I know I hold areas back, afraid to let You control them. But continue to lovingly pry them from my hands so I can place them on the altar as a sacrifice to You. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Not By Might.

He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail.  The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. – 1 Samuel 2:9-10 ESV

1 Samuel 2:1-10

As Hannah wraps up her prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, she stresses His strength and dominion over everything and anyone that exists. She also emphasizes His constant care over those who remain faithful to Him. It is not by our own strength that we are to survive and thrive, but by resting in the power and on the provision of God. Those who stand against Him will ultimately fail. Those who remain faithful will be exalted. This is not a blanket promise that every child of God will live a carefree life devoid of all trials or troubles. It is a statement of faith in the ultimate sovereignty and justice of God. He will right all wrongs and see to it that all injustices are one day paid for in full. Even in her prayer, Hannah reveals her belief that God will one day send “his king” to rule over the nation of Israel. The people of Israel knew that God had made a promise to Abraham that included a long line of kings, but to this point in the story, there had been none. “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you” (Genesis 17:6 ESV). Hannah believed that God would fulfill His promise to Abraham and to His people. Just a few short chapters after Hannah prayed this prayer, the people of Israel would demand that God give them a king (1 Samuel 8:4-7). For the people of Israel, a king was seen as a deliverer, protector, leader, and warrior. He would be God's human representative, providing them with justice, guidance and protection from their enemies. He was act as God's agent on behalf of the people, standing against the enemies of God and bringing peace and prosperity to the land.

But ultimately, Hannah knew that it would not be by human might that the nation of Israel would stand. It would be by God's power. He alone was sovereign. Any king God might provide would find success only as long as he relied upon God. It is God who guards the feet of His faithful ones. It is God who cuts off the wicked. It is God who breaks His adversaries in pieces. It is God who will judge the ends of the earth. But the sad truth is, the Israelites would end up forgetting this most important detail regarding God's sovereignty over them. In demanding a king for themselves, they would be rejecting God as their king. When the prophet Samuel heard the people's demand for a king, he was displeased, but God told Him, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7-9 ESV). Even after Samuel warned them of what would happen if God granted their request, the people said, “No! But there shall be a king over us,  that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:19-20 ESV). Rather than trusting God to be their judge, King and protector, they were demanding a flesh-and-blood king. But it wasn't their request for a king that was wrong, it was their rejection of God.

Hannah's simple prayer reminds us that our faith and hope are to be in God and in Him alone. Our strength and security are to come from Him alone. We are not to turn to anyone or anything else. Even a divinely appointed human king was not to be a replacement for trust in God. David, while hand-picked by God to be the king of Israel, was never to be a substitute for God. He was simply God's representative. It was the king's who remained faithful and committed to God who saw their reigns blessed and their kingdoms flourish. Those, like Saul, who rebelled and against Him, saw that their might was insufficient and their reigns, short-lived. God has called each of us to acknowledge His rule and reign over our lives. He has earned the right to be our Lord and Master. It is to Him we must turn in times of trouble. It is He we must trust when things look bleak. It is His power on which we must rely when our strength grows weak. As God told Zerubbabel, when he was faced with rebuilding the destroyed temple in Jerusalem, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6 ESV). Our hope, strength, and salvation must always come from the Lord. He alone is sufficient for all that we may face.