“The truth about a man lies first and foremost in what he hides.” These are the words of the French poet Malraux. True to his words, we are adept at showcasing what we want to be known for while hiding the truth of who we really are. We place a higher premium on our outer lives and, unfortunately, pay little or even no attention to our inner lives. It is almost as though we are constantly putting on a show. We have become actors in the great theatre of life. We prove the words of Shakespeare to be true:

All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

And one man in his time plays many parts…

However, the Scriptures would exhort us differently. We are meant to be men and women of integrity, meaning we are meant to be whole. There should be no disconnect between our inner person and our outer person. What people see and who we truly are should be one and the same thing. This is, fundamentally, how we should understand integrity. Stemming from this is the ability to be grounded on and guided by strong moral principles and values. A man or a woman of integrity speaks and acts based on their value system. You do this even when there is a personal cost to pay for your integrity.

The prophet Daniel is an excellent example of a man of integrity. So grounded was he that his enemies could find no ground of accusation against him in as far as his work was concerned (Daniel 6:1-5). In the end, they could only incite the king against Daniel through a dubious law prohibiting any other worship other than the worship of the king. Again, Daniel being a man of integrity went on with his life as usual, praying three times, fully aware of the danger that lurked. We need more Daniels in our society. Men and women who do not easily sink under the pressure of compromise. Men and women whose only fault is that they love God.

1. Does your outer life reflect what is within?

2. Do you make your choices in life based on principle or mere convenience?