Jump Start # 2369

Proverbs 10:9 “He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out.”

Walking in integrity. We think of Honest Abe Lincoln or George Washington, who couldn’t tell a lie. Today, we wonder if any politician can tell the truth. Integrity means to be honest, ethical, above board, doing what is right. That’s where God wants us to walk. This is the steps of a righteous man. Many may talk a good story, but their character and their walk will show what they are really like. The one who is honest has nothing to fear. Let the auditors in. Let the police point the radar gun at him. Analyze him, examine him, open the books. There is nothing hidden. He’s clean. He’s truthful. He’s honest. Nothing shady. Nothing suspicious. Nothing in the closet except clothes. No secrets. No double life. Honest in his marriage. Honest to God.

Walking in integrity allows one to sleep well. His conscience is clear and clean. The honest person doesn’t have to have a great memory, the liar does. He tells so many lies that he has to remember what he said and where he said it. It will catch up with him. The man of integrity will keep his word. A handshake and a promise and you know he’ll be there. At work, it’s a full day for the man of integrity. There’s no playing games on the computer when he ought to be working. In worship, he’s humble, knowing his faults. There’s no blaming others for the choices he has made.

Now, all of this sounds great until we put it to the test. Sometimes, trying to save a buck, or to avoid waiting, we find ways to bend the rules to suit us. And, when this happens, others notice. Not only is our integrity questionable, all that we stand for goes out the window. We appear just like everyone else. And, for that reason, some want nothing to do with Christianity, because the people of faith act as if they have no faith.

For instance:

• Here is someone who has a handicap parking card for an aged parent. They run to the store, but the aged parent isn’t with them. They park in a handicap spot because it’s convenient and close to the store. They use it all the time.

• Here is someone who doesn’t like to wait in the lines to board an airplane. So, they bring a cane and they are allowed to board first, even though nothing is wrong with them. It’s just a way to beat the crowds.

• Here is someone when he is pulled over for speeding, drops the names of police officers that he knows so he can avoid getting a ticket.

• Here is someone who knows how to bend the rules and beat the system to avoid paying some taxes that he owes.

• Here is someone who reports a higher number of expenses than what he actually used, just to get more money back from the company.

• Here is someone who bends the company rules about days off, vacation time, and paid sick leave, just to do whatever he feels like. He milks the system to his advantage.

• Here is someone who knows things are wrong with the car he is selling, or the house he is selling, but he plays innocent and dumb. He acts as if everything is great, when he knows it is not. He reasons, if I tell them everything, they won’t buy it. He is more interested in selling and making a profit than he is in integrity.

• Here is someone who is applying for a job. He lost his last job because of his dishonesty. He purposely hides things and fudges a few things to make himself look better than what he really is. He hopes that he can land the job without anyone ever finding out.

Now, we all know folks who do these things. However, when those doing these things are Christians, not only does it make the Christian lack integrity, it makes others wonder if his faith is just another sham.

Two things come out of this:

First, people notice our integrity or the lack of it. The first to notice is our family. They may laugh and think it’s great how we bend the rules to our advantage and favor, but what are we teaching them? Honesty isn’t always the best policy—it’s doing what puts you at the front of others. Convenience, a few dollars here and there, a little white lie, all justified by the thought that it’s no big deal and no one got hurt. But something was hurt. His integrity was shattered. He’s a dishonest person, but he’ll never admit that. His children grow up bending the rules just like dad. Cheating in school. Cheating in sports. Lying to get out of things and lying to escape consequences.

The people that see this dishonesty are disgusted. They feel taken advantage of and being used by those who think they are above the rules and better than the rules. The man’s spiritual influence is also shot. Few will take him seriously about following the Bible, when he doesn’t follow the Bible.

And, when names are mentioned as leaders in the congregation, his is always passed over. People know. He is an embarrassment and he doesn’t even know it.

Second, while this man laughs his way through life, bending, stretching and even breaking the rules to his advantage, someday he’ll stand before God. There will be no sweet talking the Lord. The Lord has been aware of this long journey of dishonesty. While this man may have fooled the world, he will never fool God. His lack of integrity will cost him the most precious thing he has, his soul. He will be lost because he thought he was better than everyone else. He broke the rules on purpose and thought that he could get by. He has left a terrible trail of hurting others and making a mockery of the Lord’s ways.

The steps of integrity may mean that you pay the full amount. It may mean that you wait in line. It may mean that things are not convenient, easy or even to your advantage. It means that you follow the rules. It means that you are not above the law—any law. It means that you live a life that is transparent, decent and good. It means that you live a life that is noble, honorable and pleasing to God. It means that you leave footprints that you wish all would follow. It means that you have nothing to be ashamed of, nor to hide. It means living by the golden rule.

He who walks in integrity walks securely.

Roger

Jump Start # 2366

Proverbs 14:23 “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Talk is cheap, so the saying goes. Great plays are made in huddles, but they don’t become great until they are actually executed. Generals make plans. CEO’s make plans. Shepherds in the church make plans. Even, moms and dads make plans. But plans, goals, dreams, must be launched or they become nothing more than mere talk as our passage reminds us.

Our passage is showing us a man who is long on talk and short on doing. What he would do someday. But his talk doesn’t bring any money home. His talk doesn’t put food on the table. He needs to roll up his sleeves and get busy. This is a great passage for all of us. We can spend too much time in the huddle. Churches do that. Families do that. There comes a time to get on the field of life and get doing what you are supposed to do.

Having said all of that, let’s talk about talk. There is a place for that. Solomon said that there is a time to speak and a time to be silent. I’m seeing more and more that this is a lesson for leaders in the church. Open communication, transparency as many call it today, allows everyone to know what direction the ship is headed. It’s secrets that makes folks suspicious and wondering what’s going on behind the scenes.

We understand that there are times, especially when dealing with people, that some issues are delicate and must be handled carefully and with decorum. The shepherds in a church are often dealing with people when they are at their worst. An affair. An addiction. A near divorce. A near bankruptcy. A teenager pregnant. A teenager in jail. Abuse. These things do not need to be broadcast from the pulpit. Often members are unaware of all the hours that the shepherds have already poured into families trying to pull them out of a spiritual ditch. The members catch wind of some of these things and wonder, “why aren’t the elders doing anything?” Well, they have been. They are on top of the situation and are actively doing all kinds of things. You just didn’t know that. You didn’t need to know that. Some things are not our business.

But with communication, there are other things that can be shared and ought to be shared. I was with a group some time ago, all of them were deacons, and they were all ready to resign. They felt that they were operating in the dark and the elders constantly were changing their minds and there didn’t seem to be one central voice or idea. It was chaos. The deacons would begin a project, only to be told to stop by one of the elders. A little later, another elder would get on them for not having the project done. Were they to do it or not? They didn’t know. In fact, the eldership didn’t know. Each person was speaking for himself and it was changing like the weather. This led to their frustration and nearly walking away from all of this.

I’ve known more than one preacher who gets a phone call on a Saturday evening by one of the elders informing him that a new preacher had been hired and that the two of them were to work together. There was no communicating these ideas, mapping out a plan, working on the details of who would do what. There was no meetings between the two preachers. It was like a shotgun wedding. And, in several of these places, within a year, both preachers moved on. It was a disaster. No communicating and no transparency.

Now, some shepherds feel like they don’t have to tell or communicate their plans. It’s often a power thing with them. They know and no one else does. They keep their little secrets close to the vest and like knowing what no one else does. It’s like being in a select club. They laugh, snicker and have a good time, while everyone else wonders what’s being done.

Healthy relationships, be it a marriage, a sports team, a business, or, even a church, thrive the best when everyone has trust, understanding and transparency among each other.

Here are some suggestions, and remember, that’s all they are, suggestions:

Map out plans for the next five years. Include what activities you want to do, who is coming to preach, what classes will be taught. A freshman enrolling in college this August, will not only know what classes he has to take this semester, but for a specific major, he has the next four years, eight semesters, already lined up. He knows. He knows what he needs and he knows what’s coming next.

Can you imagine a church doing the same thing? Here’s the roadmap for the next four years. You’ll start in this class and then move on to this class. We do that with the kids classes. We have programs to take them through the Bible in four years. But for the adults, we tend to drop the ball and it’s more scattered than organized.

Invite the preacher to the elder’s meetings. Now this is sensitive to some. Each has to understand their roles and limitations. Each has to trust one another. The preacher and the elders so often are working together and the information one has can help the other. But if we have to deal with power, control and running the place, this will never happen. Shepherds who love the sheep ought to welcome the preacher to sit among them. His insights, both in Scriptures and people’s lives can bring wonderful ideas and find new ways to constructively move forward. True shepherding doesn’t take place in those meetings. It’s found in front rooms, and coffee shops and the elders meeting one on one with the sheep. That’s when shepherding really changes hearts.

There needs to be a fondness, love and closeness among the leaders, including the preacher. The elders need to know that every time the preacher is out of town that he is not trying out some place. The preacher needs to hear the elders say to him that they want him to stay a long time. That principle works well in a marriage. When husband and wife expresses their trust and love for each other, it’s a wonderful feeling.

The elders and the preacher needs to defend each other, support each other, and be a true team player. No talking behind the back. No back stabbing. Again, just as in a marriage, if the relationship is strong and right, a man will not put up with others trash talking his wife. He will defend her. He knows her. He knows the situation. He will stand with her. The same ought to be within the church.

When there is a great bond within the leadership, the congregation will sense it. This will trickle down throughout the church and a great love and unity will prevail. But, just the opposite is also true. When the church senses tension, hostility, unrest among the leaders, the same will follow among the members. Shepherds must know how to calm the flock and one way they do that is by setting forth the message that the leaders are united. Being on the same page is so important. It makes for better preaching. It makes for better fellowship.

When the relationship is close between the elders and the preacher, topics such as salary can be talked about without it being awkward, tense or uneasy. A preacher told me recently that he had not gotten a raise in close to ten years. Maybe he didn’t deserve a raise. However, with the cost of living, he was actually making less today than he was ten years ago. I doubt the elders thought about that. And, it is likely that the preacher felt uneasy about saying anything about this. He wasn’t happy. He suffered in silence.

Trust, openness, love and being on the same page, spiritually, as well as in expectations and plans sure makes a world of difference. It begins with conversations. Shepherds, have you just talked to your preacher about how things are going? Have you ever asked him how things could be made better? If you can’t talk openly to your preacher about these things, how can you talk to the sheep?

It begins with talking. From that it leads to doing things. Give it a try. You might be surprised!

Roger