The Cost of Integrity

Over the weekend, I took my sons to the grocery store to buy some apples. While we were out, I tried to make the most of the trip so I took them to the neighboring pet store and then down the plaza to the Dollar Store.

Of course my kids were touching everything possible within the pet store and making me cringe every time their hands neared their eyes or mouth. I couldn't wait to walk over to the Dollar Store and get some anti-bacterial soap on their little paws.

When we entered the Dollar Store I asked the cashier where I could find the anti-bacterial soap and she directed me to a display in the middle of the store. So I brought my boys over to the rack and gave each of them and myself a squirt from the bottle of berry scented liquid cleanser.

As I walked away from the rack, I did so without the bottle of soap in my hands. My conscience was actively notifying me that I needed to buy that soap and not just take a dab for myself and my boys. But against my own better judgment I continued to walk along in the store helping the kids pick out some toys for themselves.

The next day, I went to church and after getting my kids settled in childcare, I sat down to hear the sermon. The pastor was speaking about areas of our lives that can leave the devil a foothold. One of these areas was an unclean conscience.

Immediately, the Holy Spirit brought to mind that one dollar bottle of anti-bacterial soap that was still sitting in the Dollar Store. I knew at that moment that I not only had to ask God for his forgiveness, I also had to go back and buy that soap (even though my rational thinking said that it was no big deal at all.)

So after church we took another trip to the Dollar Store and I walked in to buy only one product - a used bottle of anti-bacterial soap. I got back into our van and took a healthy squirt of the bottle I now possessed. Ahh...I now not only had clean hands, I had a clean heart. My integrity was restored for a mere $1 ($1.06 with tax).

Integrity is doing the right thing no matter what the cost. Just consider what integrity (or lack of it) cost some characters in the Bible.

When David, a man after God's own heart, slept with Bathsheba and set up her husband Uriah to be killed in battle, it cost him greatly. The Lord was displeased with him (2 Samuel 11:27), he gave the enemies a reason to blaspheme His God (2 Samuel 12:14) and the son he bore with Bathsheba died. (2 Samuel 12:15-19)

When Judas agreed to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15), he gave the devil entrance into his life (Luke 22:4), he conspired against Jesus to have him captured, then betrayed him with a kiss (Mark 14:43-46) and in his guilt, shame and regret took his own life (Matthew 27:3-5)

When Ananias and his wife Sapphira held back a portion of their offering from God and lied to the apostles and ultimately God, it cost them their lives. (Acts 5:1-10)

So what's the morale of the story?

The consequences of dishonesty are always greater than the cost of integrity. Amen.