Luke 16:10-13
Jesus went on to make these comments:
If you’re honest in small things,
you’ll be honest in big things;
If you’re a crook in small things,
you’ll be a crook in big things.
If you’re not honest in small jobs,
who will put you in charge of the store?
No worker can serve two bosses:
He’ll either hate the first and love the second
Or adore the first and despise the second.
You can’t serve both God and the Bank.
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
If you think about it, many of us are taught the importance of integrity from an early age.
A
friend asked on Facebook for parents to contribute lists of words or
phrases that they use over and over with their children. While we are
not parents, I thought of a few that Greg and I say, like “share”…”say
‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’”…and ”be nice to each other.” We also spend
time telling the children, “You can become anything you want”…”You are
so smart”…”You did that so well”…”I am proud of you!”
We try to
instill in them – just as our parents did with us – the importance of
honesty, fairness, and integrity…and the dangers of lying, cheating,
stealing – and greed. And I hope you realize that this scripture
passage is about so much more than just the love of money. It’s really
about choices – what and WHO we choose to serve in all areas of life.
Proverbs
15:16 (CEV) says, “It’s better to obey the Lord and have only a little,
than to be very rich and terribly confused.” When we focus on God and
doing the things that please Him, our needs will always be met. We may
not drive brand-new cars or live in fancy houses…we may only have a few
things to wear and just enough food to sustain us. But we will be full,
satisfied, and abundantly “rich” in the things that truly matter - if
we are in the will of God and serve Him humbly.
When we make
hard choices and do the right thing – even though everyone around us is
suggesting we do otherwise…we demonstrate faith in God to bless us.
When we operate with integrity and trust God in all things, He fills in
the gaps. It is time for us to focus on God…to serve and operate in His
will – and believe that He will handle our troubles and challenges. It
is time for us to concentrate on meeting the needs of others in the
name of Jesus - and quit worrying about what is in it for ourselves.
It
is time for us to choose WHO we will serve…and then do it…to exhibit
the hallmarks of a person of integrity…such as sharing, being polite and
kind, lifting people up and speaking positively, always operating in
honesty and fairness - and demonstrating our faith in Jesus and His
teachings. It is time to show others that we have chosen richness in
Christian faith and discipleship – with no concern over whether monetary
wealth will follow or not.
The time has come to make what will
be for some of us hard choices…and get on with the business of doing
God’s will rather than serving our own interests. Are you ready to make
this level of commitment - and walk in faith and integrity with Jesus?
Will this be the day that you begin?
©2016 Robus
Showing posts with label operating with integrity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label operating with integrity. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 16, 2015
Proverbs 10:9
A good man has firm footing, but a crook will slip and fall.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago as we emerged from church, Timothy was telling me all about Cain and Abel…how Cain was so dishonest and unkind – and how Cain even killed his brother, Abel. I agreed with Timothy about how terribly Cain behaved, and he looked up at me and asked, “Did you know him?” Yes, I appear to be as old as the stories of the Garden of Eden!
Our church-wide Sunday school curriculum focuses on the “Creation Story” from Genesis this month. Next month, the study will be on Adam and Eve…and making good choices. I was reviewing the teaching guide for pre-K in preparation to substitute this Sunday, and I noticed that the theme for October 11th is “Making Good Choices.” The following Sunday, the theme is “Sometimes Bad Things Happen to Good People,”…and the FOLLOWING Sunday, it is “Sometimes GOOD things Happen to BAD People!”
I am glad that our little ones are learning lessons about honesty and integrity, because playing fast and loose with the truth and how we treat others is a slippery slope. Sadly, lots of children learn at an early age how to manipulate the truth to suit their own agendas. They figure out how to pin blame on others, to deny culpability, or simply to make up things to sway outcomes in their favor. And sometimes, they learn to take out their frustrations, quite literally, on their siblings!
By the time we are adults, we have often managed to make a bigger mess by trying to cover our tracks. It may seem like some people “get away with murder,” but almost always, attempts to be “shady” backfire. The truth has a way of coming out – sometimes in unpleasant and embarrassing ways. Attempts to explain away misdeeds often end up making us look more foolish than ever. How we treat others will reflect on our character…and follow us into every arena – business, social, personal and spiritual.
Sometimes a simple and sincere, “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong” would serve us far better than the lies, exaggerations and manipulations we offer. Often, pausing to check our thoughts, words and actions BEFORE we do something would save everyone a world of heartache, frustration – and possibly - embarrassment.
God calls us to operate honestly and with integrity. With His help, we can do the work on the “front end” to prevent any opportunity for a need to “backpedal” after the fact. We can ask Him to help us always speak the truth…to walk in His ways and demonstrate kindness and integrity in all that we say and do. When we walk with God and honor our commitment to Him…when we operate in honesty and fairness…there is no need to even think about exposure and consequences.
Aren’t you ready to walk upright…to live with a clear conscience in the truths of Jesus Christ? It’s never too late to make this change and “come clean” in His name. Won’t you call on Him to help you this? Will this be the day that you regain your firm footing with Jesus? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
A good man has firm footing, but a crook will slip and fall.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
A few weeks ago as we emerged from church, Timothy was telling me all about Cain and Abel…how Cain was so dishonest and unkind – and how Cain even killed his brother, Abel. I agreed with Timothy about how terribly Cain behaved, and he looked up at me and asked, “Did you know him?” Yes, I appear to be as old as the stories of the Garden of Eden!
Our church-wide Sunday school curriculum focuses on the “Creation Story” from Genesis this month. Next month, the study will be on Adam and Eve…and making good choices. I was reviewing the teaching guide for pre-K in preparation to substitute this Sunday, and I noticed that the theme for October 11th is “Making Good Choices.” The following Sunday, the theme is “Sometimes Bad Things Happen to Good People,”…and the FOLLOWING Sunday, it is “Sometimes GOOD things Happen to BAD People!”
I am glad that our little ones are learning lessons about honesty and integrity, because playing fast and loose with the truth and how we treat others is a slippery slope. Sadly, lots of children learn at an early age how to manipulate the truth to suit their own agendas. They figure out how to pin blame on others, to deny culpability, or simply to make up things to sway outcomes in their favor. And sometimes, they learn to take out their frustrations, quite literally, on their siblings!
By the time we are adults, we have often managed to make a bigger mess by trying to cover our tracks. It may seem like some people “get away with murder,” but almost always, attempts to be “shady” backfire. The truth has a way of coming out – sometimes in unpleasant and embarrassing ways. Attempts to explain away misdeeds often end up making us look more foolish than ever. How we treat others will reflect on our character…and follow us into every arena – business, social, personal and spiritual.
Sometimes a simple and sincere, “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong” would serve us far better than the lies, exaggerations and manipulations we offer. Often, pausing to check our thoughts, words and actions BEFORE we do something would save everyone a world of heartache, frustration – and possibly - embarrassment.
God calls us to operate honestly and with integrity. With His help, we can do the work on the “front end” to prevent any opportunity for a need to “backpedal” after the fact. We can ask Him to help us always speak the truth…to walk in His ways and demonstrate kindness and integrity in all that we say and do. When we walk with God and honor our commitment to Him…when we operate in honesty and fairness…there is no need to even think about exposure and consequences.
Aren’t you ready to walk upright…to live with a clear conscience in the truths of Jesus Christ? It’s never too late to make this change and “come clean” in His name. Won’t you call on Him to help you this? Will this be the day that you regain your firm footing with Jesus? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 31, 2013
Psalm 41:11-13
I know you are pleased with me,
for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
You have preserved my life because I am innocent;
you have brought me into your presence forever.
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning, we took Timothy and Zola to an Easter egg hunt at our church campus… held after morning services on the grounds surrounding the sanctuary. There were people everywhere, and the grass was thoroughly covered in plastic eggs filled with candy. Timothy, Zola and several of the younger ones really didn’t know what to do with the whole situation…but they figured it out pretty quickly. After all the eggs were gathered, the children did what children like to do… they ran willy-nilly as far and as fast as they could!
When it was time to leave, my husband and I herded our two toward the car… but Timothy pulled loose and began to run. As we approached the street, I reminded him that he had to hold his Uncle Greg’s hand, because cars could be coming, and the drivers might not be watching for little ones. Sure enough, a car came up the street, and the man driving it headed directly for Zola and me. I am not sure if he saw Timothy, and he never really got that close to him, but my husband scooted over quickly to shield Timothy and protect him.
The man was intent on asking directions to another church in town, and I honestly don’t think it even registered with him that we had small children in our charge as he pulled up beside us. And certainly, my husband and I would both move heaven and earth to protect our little ones, so neither he nor any other driver was about to cause them any harm. But I said a quick, “Thank You, LORD!” anyway, as my husband scooped up Timothy and put him into our car!
Small children are indeed innocent. They have not yet learned about the perils of “enemies” such as fast-moving cars on a busy street… crowds of people at an outdoor event… and even the ramifications of eating too much candy or biting into something that is rock hard, like an all-day sucker that can crack a baby tooth! They have not yet learned the impropriety of announcing to the world that they don’t want to do something, or screaming at the top of their lungs in public just because it feels good. They don’t know how to be nice and polite to others… to speak when spoken to… or to come immediately when summoned. So we adults have to protect them, teach them, and nurture them… just as God has done for us.
In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul says, “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” The time has come for us to put away childish things and operate with integrity and honor. We can live with the assurance that God will protect us - not because of our innocence or immaturity… but rather, because we have put away the childish things and now walk in His truths – and demonstrate them in our daily existence.
Today of all days, as we think of Jesus and how He rose from the grave and conquered death, we should stop and thank Him for the tremendous work and sacrifices He has done on our behalf. We should praise Him for protecting us from our enemies – often when we totally do not deserve His help. We should humbly glorify Him for loving us enough to suffer for our sins… and we should make every effort to live each day in a way that shows how truly appreciative we are. Will you do this? Will you put aside childish behaviors and begin to operate with integrity and honor? Has God brought you into His presence? Do you live in a way that says that you belong there? Isn’t it time that you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I know you are pleased with me,
for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
You have preserved my life because I am innocent;
you have brought me into your presence forever.
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen!
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
This morning, we took Timothy and Zola to an Easter egg hunt at our church campus… held after morning services on the grounds surrounding the sanctuary. There were people everywhere, and the grass was thoroughly covered in plastic eggs filled with candy. Timothy, Zola and several of the younger ones really didn’t know what to do with the whole situation…but they figured it out pretty quickly. After all the eggs were gathered, the children did what children like to do… they ran willy-nilly as far and as fast as they could!
When it was time to leave, my husband and I herded our two toward the car… but Timothy pulled loose and began to run. As we approached the street, I reminded him that he had to hold his Uncle Greg’s hand, because cars could be coming, and the drivers might not be watching for little ones. Sure enough, a car came up the street, and the man driving it headed directly for Zola and me. I am not sure if he saw Timothy, and he never really got that close to him, but my husband scooted over quickly to shield Timothy and protect him.
The man was intent on asking directions to another church in town, and I honestly don’t think it even registered with him that we had small children in our charge as he pulled up beside us. And certainly, my husband and I would both move heaven and earth to protect our little ones, so neither he nor any other driver was about to cause them any harm. But I said a quick, “Thank You, LORD!” anyway, as my husband scooped up Timothy and put him into our car!
Small children are indeed innocent. They have not yet learned about the perils of “enemies” such as fast-moving cars on a busy street… crowds of people at an outdoor event… and even the ramifications of eating too much candy or biting into something that is rock hard, like an all-day sucker that can crack a baby tooth! They have not yet learned the impropriety of announcing to the world that they don’t want to do something, or screaming at the top of their lungs in public just because it feels good. They don’t know how to be nice and polite to others… to speak when spoken to… or to come immediately when summoned. So we adults have to protect them, teach them, and nurture them… just as God has done for us.
In 1 Corinthians 13:11, Paul says, “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.” The time has come for us to put away childish things and operate with integrity and honor. We can live with the assurance that God will protect us - not because of our innocence or immaturity… but rather, because we have put away the childish things and now walk in His truths – and demonstrate them in our daily existence.
Today of all days, as we think of Jesus and how He rose from the grave and conquered death, we should stop and thank Him for the tremendous work and sacrifices He has done on our behalf. We should praise Him for protecting us from our enemies – often when we totally do not deserve His help. We should humbly glorify Him for loving us enough to suffer for our sins… and we should make every effort to live each day in a way that shows how truly appreciative we are. Will you do this? Will you put aside childish behaviors and begin to operate with integrity and honor? Has God brought you into His presence? Do you live in a way that says that you belong there? Isn’t it time that you did?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for March 28, 2013
March 28 ~ Psalm 25:19-21
Do you see how many people
Have it in for me?
How viciously they hate me?
Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
Don’t let me down when I run to you.
Use all your skill to put me together;
I wait to see your finished product.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Nearly all of us have written a term paper at some point. If you were taught as I was, you began with an outline. You thought of the things you wanted to include… and you made notes and lists of the points you planned to cover. Honestly, for a while, the whole thing may have looked like quite a jumble of confusion. You might have even said, “The devil is having fun here… this paper is a mess!” But over time, things came together, and what seemed unconquerable at the outset became something you were proud to present to your instructor… or at least relieved to have finished!
A couple of months ago, I was not paying close attention as I cut the sleeves off a ladies knit shirt to make pants for my niece, Zola. I realized that I had cut the fabric in a way that I had two right legs – or was it two left legs?! At any rate, the outcome was not going to be a wearable pair of pants! I was in trouble. I felt I had wasted a really cute shirt, and naturally I blamed the devil for distracting me and causing me to cut the material incorrectly! But I was determined not to let him win. You can call me silly, but I began to pray… “LORD, what can I do with this? How can I take these pieces and create something useful – and cute – from them?” (I really do pray over mundane things like how to salvage a thrift-store shirt!)
I began to move the pieces of fabric around. “What if I used this piece this way?” I would ask myself. “Suppose I turned those mismatched ‘pant legs’ into sleeves?” And soon, everything was coming together to create a darling dress and matching accessories… all of which looked adorable on Zola and was one of her mother’s favorite outfits to date! God used all of His skill to help me use my skills to pull together a wonderful finished product.
So often, we throw up our hands and say, “So-and-so is out to get me,” or “I can’t win for losing… the odds are just not in my favor.” What we fail to recognize is how God has our back... if only we will keep our chin up and do what He expects. If we will continue to take the high road… if we will stay focused and maintain a positive attitude… if we will trust Him for an outcome… God will put us together into an incredible finished product!
I firmly believe this. I have full confidence that God can make lemonade from “lemons” like us! I am quite certain that operating with integrity brings about positive results…and amazing finished products! You can let the devil and his agents have their way in your life… or you can choose to live for God - and trust His outcomes. It’s totally your call… what do you say?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Do you see how many people
Have it in for me?
How viciously they hate me?
Keep watch over me and keep me out of trouble;
Don’t let me down when I run to you.
Use all your skill to put me together;
I wait to see your finished product.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
Nearly all of us have written a term paper at some point. If you were taught as I was, you began with an outline. You thought of the things you wanted to include… and you made notes and lists of the points you planned to cover. Honestly, for a while, the whole thing may have looked like quite a jumble of confusion. You might have even said, “The devil is having fun here… this paper is a mess!” But over time, things came together, and what seemed unconquerable at the outset became something you were proud to present to your instructor… or at least relieved to have finished!
A couple of months ago, I was not paying close attention as I cut the sleeves off a ladies knit shirt to make pants for my niece, Zola. I realized that I had cut the fabric in a way that I had two right legs – or was it two left legs?! At any rate, the outcome was not going to be a wearable pair of pants! I was in trouble. I felt I had wasted a really cute shirt, and naturally I blamed the devil for distracting me and causing me to cut the material incorrectly! But I was determined not to let him win. You can call me silly, but I began to pray… “LORD, what can I do with this? How can I take these pieces and create something useful – and cute – from them?” (I really do pray over mundane things like how to salvage a thrift-store shirt!)
I began to move the pieces of fabric around. “What if I used this piece this way?” I would ask myself. “Suppose I turned those mismatched ‘pant legs’ into sleeves?” And soon, everything was coming together to create a darling dress and matching accessories… all of which looked adorable on Zola and was one of her mother’s favorite outfits to date! God used all of His skill to help me use my skills to pull together a wonderful finished product.
So often, we throw up our hands and say, “So-and-so is out to get me,” or “I can’t win for losing… the odds are just not in my favor.” What we fail to recognize is how God has our back... if only we will keep our chin up and do what He expects. If we will continue to take the high road… if we will stay focused and maintain a positive attitude… if we will trust Him for an outcome… God will put us together into an incredible finished product!
I firmly believe this. I have full confidence that God can make lemonade from “lemons” like us! I am quite certain that operating with integrity brings about positive results…and amazing finished products! You can let the devil and his agents have their way in your life… or you can choose to live for God - and trust His outcomes. It’s totally your call… what do you say?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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