Becoming and Befriending Women of Integrity

As we ushered in 2019,  I chose the word “Truth” as my word of the year here on the blog. Truth defined is that which is in accordance with fact or reality; it’s sincerity in action, character, and utterance. I shared in January, that not only do I want to read more truth, aka my Bible (vs. books, blogs, commentaries) but I want to cultivate friendships with women who are walking in integrity (moral uprightness) as well.

I have a few reasons for choosing to focus on the truth:

I want to be sanctified by the truth of God’s Word. Truth is necessary for integrity and if I want to be a woman of integrity, I need God’s truth always before me because the rudiments of the world are a real thing and it’s naive to think that I am above being affected by the lies of our culture.

Eve believed Satan’s lies and sinned, and every time I sin I’m carrying on her legacy of falling hook, line, and sinker for the forbidden shiny trinket that I believe will make me happy or will fulfill what I believe is missing in my life.

I believe the lie that giving in to the flesh will make me happy, that those small slip-ups aren’t that big a deal, that I’m only human, and that my compromise is small compared to the collective compromise of our day, so God will probably just wink at my extenuating circumstances or even side with me.

Lies!

Oh, how we need to be washed with truth, don’t we?

I suppose another reason I chose this word as a blogger is that I’m tired of the lies of social media, the influencers who tell us we need products that we can’t live without, the square-framed snapshots of a moment of life that allows us to believe our own press, and gives us the ability to hide the ugly and disorderly and portray ourselves as having it all together when in reality, our lives fall short of our daily posts.

Let’s be clear, whether in our private life or on social media, the opposite of the truth is lies.

• When you don’t speak the truth or you give half-truths, you lie.
• When you portray yourself in one way when others know you as something else, you lie.
• When you hide known sin, you lie.
• When you gossip about someone, you lie.
• When you tell someone you are praying for them, when in fact, you’ve been bitter towards them, you lie.
• When you give a snarky answer to the woman you believe deserves your disdain, then shower sweet words to the women you want to like you, you lie.
• When you withhold love, you lie.
• When you call yourself a Christian, and act contrary to God’s Word, you lie against the truth.
• When you claim God’s name, yet live a carnal life, you lie and you take God’s name in “vain.”

This stuff affects all of us.

If we want to be women of truth and integrity, we need help seeing the lies we’ve tolerated in our life so we can walk in truth.

We need the exposing light of God’s Word to shine, shine, shine into the crevices where we squirrel away secret sins and treasured idols. We need the lamp unto our feet that guides our steps into all truth. We need the blinding light that illuminates and shocks our sensibilities into seeing ourselves as we really are: sinful and flawed, but greatly loved and bestowed with grace upon grace to help us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us so that we can walk with integrity and truth and holiness.

1 John 1: 5-10, the Apostle John speaks as a first-hand witness of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He says that his knowledge and relationship with Christ is so sure, and his experience with Christ so life-changing, that he wants us to know the truth about Christ for one reason: so that we can experience true fellowship. Huh? What does truth have to do with fellowship?

 ^“that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:3

How can we experience the fellowship of the apostles and of Christ and of one another? By walking in the light.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

The light can feel exposing and uncomfortable, yes, but the truth is freeing, and once we see things as they are, we can’t be content to walk as though we didn’t know.  We can’t call bad good or good bad. We can’t excuse our faults. We can’t accept apathy in the Christian walk or laziness or half-hearted devotion when you are face to face with the goodness of God that keeps showing you your sin so you can be changed by degree into the image of His dear Son.

And this exposing light also brings true fellowship with friends who are walking the same path. A double blessing!

If you need to seek truth in your own life, or if you are lacking true community and fellowship, here are a few ways to walk in the light: