Scripture: 1 Samuel 12:1-3 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you. Now you have a king as your leader. As for me, I am old and gray, and my sons are here with you. I have been your leader from my youth until this day. Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
Devotional: Samuel is another man in the Bible who valued his integrity. In his farewell speech, he asks the Israelites if he has been a man of integrity. He says that if he has wronged anyone, they should bring it to him so that he can make it right. The people’s response? That he was a man of his word. That he did not cheat or oppress anyone.
Ask yourself, “Who have I cheated? Who have I oppressed? Who have I accepted a bribe from?” Hopefully, the answer is no one. That you have been an honest person full of integrity. More likely, there are a few people who come to mind. There are probably a few situations where you have been less than truthful.
But our desire should be for people to see us as people of integrity. Whether or not they like us, agree with our viewpoint on things, or would prefer to not spend time with us isn’t what is important. What is important is that other people view you as a person who does what they say they are going to do. When you are gone from this earth, that is the type of legacy that you want to leave.
Reflect:
- What do you think people will say about you after you die?
- What do you currently do that would cause them to say you were a person of integrity? What can you change that would help them to say you were a person of integrity?
