People who come from modest families often have no hope to have a high career, because they do not have the capital, relations, and all it takes to reach the height. Can plain people experience a significant leap in their career? Is there a way? Yes, they can and there is a way! In His justice, God will give a leap in the lives of plain people, but the key to make God do that is integrity: a key to experience significant leap.
Definition: Integrity is a determination to always make decisions based on the truth that we have received from the Lord at any cost.
Daniel began his career in the land of Babylon (the nation that colonized his people) by following a selection to become a civil servant. But in a short time, he became a high official there. The leap that Daniel experienced was caused by the power of God’s sovereignty that worked when he showed his integrity before the Lord (Daniel 1, 2, and 6).
The same thing happened with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In a short time they occupied high positions in Babylon, because the king saw the power of God working in their lives. God acted because they demonstrated integrity (Daniel 3).
Joseph began his career as a new slave in Egypt. Only within a period of 13 years he became a ruler in Egypt, as the king’s right hand (Genesis 39-41). All happened because God was with Joseph. But what attracted the Lord to accompany Joseph? Integrity!
The principles of integrity:
1. Integrity comes from the assurance of faith toward God.
Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Joseph had the determination to always make decisions based on the truth even though they had to face a great risk. Why did they have such courage? It’s only because they trusted the Lord completely. Why could they trust God completely? It’s only they knew God properly.
The principle is: We can’t believe someone that we do not know. Integrity means taking a decision because of Him and for Him. We cannot make decisions because of Him and for Him if we do not trust Him completely, let alone facing a big risk. The greater the risk, the greater the confidence requires to take the decision.
To bring out integrity we need to trust Him fully. For us to trust Him fully, we need to know Him properly. So all we need to do is to grow in our knowledge of Him. From that knowledge, faith will grow, and from that faith integrity will arise.
“till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:13-15).
2. Integrity makes God feel responsible to support what we do (Daniel 3 & 6; Gen. 39-40).
Every time we make decisions based on truth, God will feel responsible to support what we do. That’s why regardless of any risk that we will endure, we will bear it together with God. He will show His sovereignty power to defend us.
3. Integrity transforms every stumbling block into a stepping stone.
Daniel’s political opponents made a political maneuver to trap Daniel by proposing to the king to issue a rule: for thirty days no one is permitted to request anything from any god or from any man except from the king. Anyone who violated this order was to be thrown into a pit filled with lions.
This should be a stumbling block to Daniel, but because of integrity that he showed, this became a stepping stone for him. He had to enter the lion’s den, but the power of God shut the lions’ mouth. After that even the king gave more respect for Daniel and his God, and Daniel was moved higher once again, while his political opponents all dead preyed upon by lions.
Integrity can turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. The bigger the stumbling block, the higher the leap!
4. Integrity allows us to live and work in the world but we are not influenced by the world system.
Daniel was in Babylon since the age of 16 and had been there for 60 years, but he was never influenced by the Babylonian system. Joseph was in Egypt since the age of 17 and was there until he died, but Egypt never possessed his heart.
Integrity makes us not influenced by the world system, but rather we are the ones who influence the world system.
When we know the principles of integrity: a key to experience significant leap, then we can begin to live in integrity and experience what are written above.
Also read: Understanding God’s Justice 2.
