Integrity

I'm sure you know this by now but God knows everything. And He really, really, really knows when to remind you that you are not following the right path in your life.

Today, the message at church was about integrity. It really hit home. Most of us think we have it but most of us don't. Of course, none of us want to consider ourselves phony or hypocritical, but we are. If you act one way when you're out with your buddies and another way when you're at the PTA meeting - you're being hypocritical. You should be the same person at all times so people will honor you, trust you and consider you a person of integrity. Sounds easy, right? Well, it's not so easy. If your heart is divided, it's impossible.

The message that really sunk in? Being a parent with integrity. You've got to walk the talk. You can't just tell your kids to do something if you don't do it yourself. It's that whole "do as I say, not as I do" mentality. With kids, pastor said, "more is caught then taught". They emulate what you do so much more than do what you say. Does your behavior match your beliefs? So, can you tell your kid not to give in to harmful vices if you smoke? Can you tell them not to curse while your dishing out the f-bomb while you're on the phone with a friend? Can you tell them not to be mean to the shy girl in class when you're chatting with your girlfriends about the other lady in the playgroup? It's one thing to make your outside look pretty, but the inside needs to match. You've got to model that good behavior for your kids...and you've got to mean it. Don't just give them lip service. If you do, they will never ever respect you. Just ask a friend with a teenager - is there something they would change if they could go back to when that child was 8? Or ask a friend with an adult child. Did one bad decision they made during the teen years have a major impact on their lives? I'm glad my oldest was sitting with me in the service and I really hope she "caught" the message. Well, maybe not, since I'm sure from now on when I make a mistake she will question my integrity. But, I will tell you this - and I am writing the message on my mirror so I see it every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed - from now on my goal is to make my walk match my talk.