Refreshing Candor
Of the many things I love about my mom, chief among them may be her candor. Many times I have called to ask her opinion on a matter and she…
Topic > Ethical Issues > Integrity >
A Life of Integrity
Abel Mutai, a Kenyan runner competing in a grueling international cross-country race, was mere yards from victory—his lead secure. Confused by the course’s signage and thinking he’d already crossed the finish line, however, Mutai stopped short. The Spanish runner in second place, Ivan Fernandez Anaya, saw Mutai’s mistake. Rather than take advantage and bolt past for the win, however, he caught up to Mutai, put out his arm and guided Mutai forward to a gold-medal win. When reporters asked Anaya why he purposefully lost the race, he insisted that Mutai deserved the win, not him. “What would be the merit…
Stick-Figure Lesson
A friend of mine—okay, it was my counselor—drew a stick figure on a sheet of paper. She labeled this the “private” self. Then she drew an outline around the figure, about a half-inch larger, and named it the “public” self. The difference between the two figures, between the private and public selves, represents the degree to which we have integrity.
I paused at her lesson and wondered, Am I the same person in public that I am in private? Do I have integrity?
Paul wrote letters to the church in Corinth, weaving love and discipline into his admonitions to be like Jesus.…
Honorable Living
While delivering a well-publicized speech, a respected leader and statesman got the attention of his nation by declaring that most of his country’s honorable Members of Parliament (MPs) were quite dishonorable. Citing lifestyles of corruption, pompous attitudes, unsavory language, and other vices, he rebuked the MPs and urged them to reform. As expected, his comments didn’t go well with them and they dispatched counter-criticisms his way.
We may not be public officials in positions of leadership, but we who follow Christ are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). As such, our Lord calls…
A Legacy Life
While staying in a hotel in a small town I noticed that the church across the street was having a service. People were jammed into the church with a standing-room-only crowd of both young and old flowing out onto the sidewalk. When I noticed a hearse by the curb, I realized it was a funeral. And given the crowd, I assumed that it was the celebration of the life of some local hero—perhaps a wealthy businessperson or a famous personality. Curious, I said to the desk clerk, “That’s an amazing turnout for a funeral; it must be for a famous…
Ultimate Leadership I
Based on spiritual principles of leadership and character development, this four-lesson course offers studies on Character and Leadership, Knowing God’s Will, Building Trust and more. The Ultimate Leadership course will give you practical skills that will increase your success in every area of life.
The Ultimate Leadership Series is offered in two separate courses, to take Ultimate Leadership II click here.
Don’t miss the Ultimate Leadership Workshops with Dr. Cloud & Dr. Townsend (Click here to learn more).
How the wisdom of true sincerity allows God to work
A famous journalist once said about sincerity, “If you can fake it, you’ve got it made.” But is sincerity something you can really fake?
Words and Actions
The email from the student in my college writing class expressed urgency. It was the end of the semester, and he realized he needed a better grade to participate in sports. What could he do? He had missed some assignments, so I gave him two days to complete those papers and improve his grade. His response: “Thank you. I’ll do it.”
Two days—and the deadline—passed, and no papers appeared. He didn’t back up his words with action.
Jesus told about a young man who did something similar. The boy’s dad asked him to do some work in the vineyard. The son said,…
A Good Name
Charles Ponzi’s name will be forever associated with the financial fraud scheme he elevated to a way of life. After some minor financial crimes and brief times in jail, in early 1920 he began offering investors a 50 percent return on their money in 45 days and a 100 percent return in 90 days. Although it seemed too good to be true, the money poured in. Ponzi used money from new investors to pay prior investors and fund his lavish lifestyle. By the time his fraud was discovered in August 1920, investors had lost 20 million dollars and five banks…
Why Did You Do That?
Why did you do that? I’m not referring to the things we do on reflex such as cracking our neck (which I do when I’m tired), but moments in life where we need to make a deliberate decision on a course of action. In the past when I applied […]
Freedom
Long ago my wife decided that driving within the speed limit gives her a wonderful sense of freedom. She tells me, “I don’t ever need a radar detector. And I never have to slow down when I see a state patrol car or worry about paying a fine for speeding.”
The Barking Lion
Visitors to a zoo were outraged when the “African lion” started barking instead of roaring. Zoo staff said they had disguised a Tibetan mastiff—a very large dog—as a lion because they could not afford the real thing. Needless to say, the zoo’s reputation was sullied and people will think twice before visiting it.
The Upright Thumb
According to an African fable, four fingers and a thumb lived together on a hand. They were inseparable friends. One day, they noticed a gold ring lying next to them and conspired to take it. The thumb said it would be wrong to steal the ring, but the four fingers called him a self-righteous coward and refused to be his friend. That was just fine with the thumb; he wanted nothing to do with their mischief. This is why, the legend goes, the thumb still stands separate from the other fingers.
Discover that being wise actually means being trustworthy!
How would you describe a wise person? Is it someone who knows a lot? Maybe it’s a person with important things to say? We’re looking at another important aspect of wisdom.
Faith at Work
Many believers long to find ways to better integrate their faith and work. Some feel as though they are in a second-class role because they were not called into full-time Christian ministry. Some struggle with identifying their purpose, calling, and giftedness; having no role model; knowing how to integrate faith and work; and knowing how to share and defend faith in the workplace. As a result, these believers are frustrated and can fall short of fully integrating their faith with their work.
If this has been your experience, get ready to be encouraged. These five lessons will help you reflect on…
Character Or Reputation?
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden (1910–2010) believed that character is far more important than reputation. “Your reputation is what you’re perceived to be by others,” Coach Wooden often told his players, “but your character is what you really are. You’re the only one that knows your character. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself.”
