When I think of the word integrity, I think of honesty and authenticity. Of course, we should be asking ourselves, “Am I being honest and truthful to those I work with?” But when was the last time you wondered if you were being truthful and honest with yourself?
Living out our faith at work is much more than not doing the wrong things. It’s about actively doing the right things. When we clothe ourselves in the virtues listed in these verses, we make it evident to those around us who the master is in our lives.
How do we ensure we live out these virtues instead of just getting by on being good enough?
The first of the four gospels to be written, Matthew opens the New Testament with the genealogy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, King of the Jews. This section of the Sermon on the Mount begins with verse 19, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” But what is treasure really?
In Ephesians 4:1-16, Paul explains that our differences are not to divide us, and that Jesus broke down the barriers between us with His death and resurrection and that now all are joined as the body of Christ regardless of our differences. Let’s walk through these verses together and discern through Paul’s instructions to the Ephesians, which we’ll bring into our day-to-day work.
Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a beautiful picture of the fruit of the Spirit being produced in our lives. Like apples on a tree – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control naturally flow from us. It’s such a stirring image that we often stop there. However, if we read on, we see that we have a part to play in bearing fruit. Verses 24-25 tell us that we are to live as people who belong to Christ, crucifying the flesh and keeping in step with the Spirit.
As I’ve started reading The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest, I’ve used it as the opportunity to look at my internal brokenness through the lens of self-sabotage. Self-sabotage can sound harsh, but most of our sabotage isn’t acting violently toward ourselves or purposely causing havoc in our lives. Self-sabotage is simply “the presence of an unconscious need that is being fulfilled by the self-sabotaging behavior… [it’s] what happens when we refuse to consciously meet our innermost needs, often because we do not believe we are capable of handling them.”
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17) This is the final verse of Psalm 90, the only Psalm that credits Moses as its author. Why was this such a frequent prayer of Moses?
At a point in every person’s life, they will likely struggle with their identity. When our identity is not rooted in God, we are at risk of believing the lies we hear. The lies that stem from societal standards, social media, our peers, and sometimes even ourselves.
Abiding with Christ is critical for the Christian leader. Many of us were disciplined into prioritizing beginning our day with Him. That is incredibly important. But we must also remember that no matter how rich that time is, it cannot (and isn’t intended to) carry us through our day.
“The armor we use to try to protect ourselves.” This is how researcher and author, Brené Brown refers to perfectionism. It’s the thought that, if I can be perfect enough, if I can say just the right thing, if I can be attractive enough, smart enough, productive enough, wealthy enough, then I can protect myself. But nowhere in the Bible are we encouraged to be perfect.
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