Merriam-Webster, the dictionary company, has an online dictionary. In 2005, some of the most often looked up words included filibuster, refugee, and tsunami. An old word, however, topped the list of the most looked up word. Over 200,000 people looked this word up in the online dictionary in 2005. The online dictionary defines it as “firm adherence to a code,” and “incorruptibility.” The word is integrity.

            What has happened, so that many of us don’t know what a word like integrity means? Is it that we just so seldom see integrity today that we have forgotten about it? Surely there is still a place for integrity. It has to be more than an empty claim in a political advertisement.

            Integrity is one of the great themes demonstrated in the book of Job. First and foremost, Job was a man of integrity. Having lost his family and fortune, Job was still faithful. In the heavenly council, God said to Satan, “Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause” (Job 2:3).

            With the further calamity of the loss of his health, Job’s wife said, “Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). To his credit, Job replied, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:9).

            It would have been so easy for Job to give in to the pressure of his four friends, and admit he was the sinner they accused him of being, but he said, “God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me” (Job 27:5).

            What an example for us! We should say with him, “Till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.”

Do We Know What It Means?
By Bob Prichard
www.oxfordchurchofchrist.com