In times when it is so easy and common to profess to support Christian values but still live by double standards, an urgent demand arises for someone to be real.  Our generation has popularized the attitude and phrase “that’s real”, but even the definition of what’s “real” is compromised to accommodate our own comforts and selfishness.  Too easily we use our collective failures to justify our individual shortcomings, assuming that it is okay to live a double standard because “I’m not the only one doing it”.  We are disappointed as the definition of “real” is deferred from its true meaning of having integrity.

Integrity is something that is often left on the back burner of our consciousness as we allow our own weaknesses to deceive us.  We are deceived into believing that it is okay to betray the very values that we espouse.   All the while, our influence and effectiveness is being diminished like chewing gum that loses it flavor, and like salt that has lost its savor.

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus pronounced his followers to be the “salt of the earth”.  That means that our presence as believers ought to effect change in the environments in which we live.  But when we compromise our faith and values, we are relinquishing our “saltiness”, and diluting our potency.  Consider this example: my mom at times gets the strangest craving for a Coke, and she just has to have one.  But she has been disappointed in times past to finally find a coke and it’s flat!  We too disappoint our friends, loved ones, and spiritual families when we give up our integrity. Then, in the time of need we have the same potency of a flat Coke, waiting to be poured out or thrown away. 

Recently, I studied the word integrity and found a curious thing.  It is related to the words integer and integral, and all have a root word that means “to be whole”.   What this says is that our lives must have a sense of completeness and is not purposely divided into conflicting parts.  In other words, our actions both publicly and privately line up with what we profess to be, and people need that from our lives.  Our friends need to know that they are not by themselves in this struggle to live holy before God.  They need to know that we are not engaging in spiritual adultery, cheating on God and cheating on them.  They need to know that we are living with integrity. 

Living with integrity does not mean that we never fail or make mistakes.  It does mean, however, that when we fail, we are honest about our failures so that our lives may be brought back in harmony with our Christian confession.   Being real means that I may make a mistake or fall short, but I confess it and keep pressing for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. “I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.” Philippians 3:12 (NLT)

Brothers and sisters of the faith, let’s not give up our integrity so easily when the pressure to compromise is present.  We win by submitting ourselves to God and allowing the motivating power of his presence to keep us.  Let’s not find ourselves as useless salt that’s not good for anything.  Let’s be real.  God want’s somebody that’s real!

Contact Greg at GMcgee@b-now.com