Honesty and integrity are two words that seem to go hand in hand. People know the importance of these things and they would never compromise their morals or ethics. However, you might wonder how we can live such a lifestyle with so much lying and cheating going on. Sometimes, it seems as if integrity is just out of sight, out of mind!
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In order to maintain the integrity that people need in their lives, there are a few things that everyone can do. First, people should be more honest with themselves. They should really look at what they are doing and make the determination whether it is worth lying about or putting in the effort to correct. Then they should put their trust in the hands of God and not do anything that would undermine his work.
Trusting God is not taking things for granted. It is a gift that he gave us. So when we approach others with honesty and integrity, they will be drawn to us because they see that we have put our trust and faith in God. We will draw close to them and share the precious things that God has placed in our care. We will share those things with others and then ask them for referrals. When integrity first leads a person to God, he will feel closer to him and he will enjoy the peace and comfort that having such integrity brings into his life.
Trustworthy behaviors are another way of having integrity and honesty in your life. When people earn the trust of other people, they will behave in a trustworthy and honest manner. This will encourage others to trust them as well, and the cycle of trust begins again.
The above examples show that integrity comes before honesty when people approach others. People who only have integrity and honesty will find themselves continually attracting the people that they should not be around. So the next time you put trust in someone, make sure you put trust first and then proceed with honesty and integrity.
I often hear people talk about "trusting" and "following the truth." Those are good guidelines but what if we replace those words with integrity? What if we substituted honesty for "following the truth?" What if we substituted integrity for "trust"? What if we substituted commitment for "fidelity?"
What then might you substitute for honesty and integrity? In my experience in counseling people, I have found that the following are often used as a replacement: "ensing guilt," "acknowledging my faults," "acknowledging the consequences," "confessing my failures," "acknowledging the beauty in life," and "acknowledge my gifts." When someone is truly honest and holds to their integrity at all times, it is hard for them to abandon that integrity even when circumstances require it. The following are not standards that I would necessarily use, but they can be a good place to start. They encourage integrity first, which is important in any relationship.
Trust comes from relationship closeness. If you can create strong, trusting relationships in your life, integrity comes naturally. If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot trust others, you must first ask yourself why you cannot trust them. Are you avoiding responsibility by putting others' feelings on the back burner? Your response to that question will reveal much about who you really are.
A person who does not trust or cannot trust others will not act with integrity and will not display the characteristics of integrity in his or her behavior. The result is often a compromised relationship with others because of fear, uncertainty or misgivings. The result is that the person cannot build true intimacy and friendship because the integrity is compromised. Trust comes with intimacy, which is based on emotional closeness.
Integrity, then, must be your first priority. People will respect your integrity if they believe you are a person of honor. Honesty, as we teach in the classroom, is paramount. Integrity, in business, can take many forms, but the most important form is of course trust. Do you keep your integrity when it is most important to do so?
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As I said, our life's work is to seek out those who we can trust and rely upon. Let your integrity speak for you first. Do the right thing. Do not put other people ahead of yourself. Keep your integrity as your first priority.
