Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” – 2 Corinthians 8:21.
Pedia.com differentiates the words honesty and integrity: honesty is being truthful, sincere, and free of deceit; integrity means steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.
On the other hand, the Webster Dictionary states that honesty is truthfulness, sincerity or frankness, while integrity is adherence to moral and ethical principles. The same source further explained that one can have honesty without integrity, but one cannot have integrity without honesty.
All of us may have daily encountered these words: honesty and integrity. These two moral principles are necessary on so many levels, from relationships with spouses and children, at our workplace and interacting with our neighbors.
As we all know, moral principles are patterns that we try to go after in our aim to live right and be a good example, instead of being bad. Preacher Marvin Bryant at the Robbinsville Church of Christ said morality has something to do with right and wrong, good and bad.
Whether we like it or not, Bryant said we have some moral principles being followed. For instance, if someone does something good to us, most of us will feel good and say thank you.
But, he said, not everyone has a well thought-out system of morals.
Bryant also believes it is very difficult to live according to our moral principles. He said if we sincerely try to adopt some good principles and seek to live by them, it will be every hard for us to be 100 percent consistent.
The preacher said we should not pretend to be 100 percent consistent, because we are not; otherwise, that's hypocrisy.
"We should not pretend we are better than others. But if we are honest with our failures, we are not hypocrites because we also fall short of our principles," he noted.
Finally, Bryant said, while some may still be critical of us while doing the right thing, we try hard to stick to our principles in life in spite of the criticisms of other people.
As what the Bible tells us in Proverbs 11:3, "The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them." Our Heavenly Father, who is Holy and Just, sees all the things you've done. He will certainly reward a person who is upright, while punish the ones who consistently does the bad things.
However, there is hope for a person who wanted to be saved from his or her sins through Jesus Christ, by repenting from your sins and letting God completely change you through the power of the Holy Spirit. It states in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Ana Williams is a columnist for The Graham Star.