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by Dick Hilleary

In a certain bank there was a trust department in which four young men and one older man were employed. It was decided by the directors that they would promote the older employee and also promote one of the younger men to have charge of the trust department after the older gentleman was removed to his new position. After considering the merits of each of the men, a certain one of the four younger men was selected for the new position and a substantial increase in salary. It was decided to notify him of the promotion that afternoon at four o’clock.

At noon hour the young man went to the cafeteria for lunch. One of the directors was behind him in line with several other customers in between them. The director saw the young man select his food including a small piece of butter. The butter he flipped on his plate and threw some food on top of it to hide it from the cashier. In this way he lied to the cashier about what was on his plate.

That afternoon the directors met to notify the young man that they had intended giving him the promotion, but that because of what had been seen in the cafeteria they must discharge him. They felt that they could not have one who would lie and steal as head of their trust department.

Honesty and integrity are the best policy both in natural things and in spiritual things.

IN THE NATURAL THINGS

A study conducted by a consulting firm along with the UCLA Graduate School of Management was to determine 16 key traits that maximize effectiveness. The respondents were 1,300 senior executives. What do you suppose these high-level and highly paid executives felt to be the most important traits? Management skills? Education? Interpersonal skills? Self-motivation? Nope. All were important...but not the most important.

SEVENTY-ONE PERCENT OF THE EXECUTIVES SAID THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT TRAIT FOR SUCCESS IS INTEGRITY. That’s right! Integrity!

And what is integrity? The word comes from the Latin integritas which means wholeness, entireness, completeness. The root word is integer, which means "untouched, intact, entire." To possess integrity is to adhere to a code of moral and ethical values. Integrity is incorruptible. It is a quality of being complete or undivided. It possess honesty to the highest degree.

HOW ABOUT IN THE SPIRITUAL THINGS?

The ultimate example of Integrity would be a man called Jesus. His Father established the ultimate morality code. He merely came to demonstrate that it is possible to live completely within the framework of that code without compromise. Jesus is Integrity personified.

Jesus’ followers are required to follow His example...to be like Him. The church is God’s chief instrument in this world for putting things together, and in order to do the job right, the church must have wholeness. If there is one place where the shattered people of our fractured society ought to find integrity, it is in the local church. It should be exemplified by every member of that church as they go out into the highways and byways representing Him. After all, we Christians are reconciled to God and united to one another, so people have every right to expect to see integrity in the church. As people with integrity we should not be divided or merely pretending. That is hypocrisy.

There should never need be a "study" done to determine the key trait for the followers of Christ. It is a given that they should possess the highest levels of integrity. Those in the "world" should be able to see and experience this in every member of God’s family. To fall short of this highest of goals is sin.