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Proverbs 20:7 The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!
The word integrity in the Bible means a wholeness or completeness. It holds the idea being trustworthy or faithful. It is the image of a clay pot being whole, not cracked, trustworthy and faithful in its use. In ancient time sellers of clay pots sometimes hid the cracks in their work with wax and covered it with a thin layer of a clay slurry. To see if the container was whole, with no cracks, the buyer would hold it up to the sun to see if it was a vessel of integrity, trustworthy and faithful in its use. Because being trustworthy matters.
Being trustworthy matters greatly in the products we purchase, the organizations we are involved in, the leaders we follow, and the people we relate to. When something or someone is trustworthy, it is a blessing. We appreciate the quality of the product, and we feel at peace with the leaders and people we relate to. Teams struggle to do well when they don’t trust their coaches. Businesses, schools, organizations, governments, and yes, even churches, lose their effectiveness when trust is lost or waning.
To be trustworthy is to have integrity, honesty, to be truthful and consistent with words and actions. I saw a post on Facebook the other day about a portable air-cooler that was not trustworthy. Oh my, was the person upset! We read reviews that give details to the trustworthiness of restaurants, potential purchases on Amazon, places of business, and professional services. I even get asked at some stores to give a positive review if that is my experience. Trustworthiness is desired and needed.
We have come through a season where we are not sure who or what to trust. Our experience with the pandemic, how the government has been functioning, the economy, and the bias in the media all have caused us to be more careful with who and what we trust.
Trust is earned and built as we follow through with what we say and live truthful, kind lives. The Bible encourages us to be trustworthy.
Micah 6:8-9 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Isaiah 1:17 Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
Luke 16:10 One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Let’s be people of integrity. Let’s bring in the blessing of trustworthiness. It will change our world!!
The Bible does teach us how to be trustworthy and church can be a good place to learn what the Bible teaches. If you do not already have a church to attend, we would like to invite you to view or visit Neighborhood Church. We are a fun, welcoming church and would love for you to connect with us! Our website has all the information you need for times and locations of all our Sunday gatherings. You can also find us online at neighborhoodchurch.com. As well, if you would like to view any of our past worship gatherings or videos, visit our YouTube channel, or just search Neighborhood Church Cypress or Neighborhood Church Los Alamitos on their YouTube site.
Seeking to build trustworthiness along with you,
Mike McKay, Lead Pastor Neighborhood Church
