Integrity's dividends

Enjoy doing what's right.

By Virginia Houge Stevens

A friend of mine agreed to take a class with a colleague. But later, my friend (who is a real estate agent) received a call asking her to show properties to a couple moving into the area. They would be in town the same two days as the class. My friend explained that she already had plans, but after some discussion, she agreed to think it over.

It was tempting to break her commitment to her colleague. After all, she really needed the clients. Yet, in turning to God, she saw that she was trying to rationalize something she didn't honestly feel good about. So she decided that, even if the whole world thought it was crazy to miss this type of opportunity, she would do what she felt was right. Promptly, she called back to say that she couldn't take on these clients.

My friend understood that landing a real estate deal was not the important point here. Of higher value was her conviction that, because God's law of good is always operating, she couldn't possibly lose out on good by basing her actions on integrity and honesty. She trusted that since her motives were pure, she would be blessed, although she didn't know specifically how that blessing would appear. And the best part was that she didn't care. Doing the right thing was enough. She was living by this proverb: "The integrity of the upright shall guide them" (Prov. 11:3).

Later that evening something unusual happened. My friend received a call from the woman who was moving into the area. The woman understood that my friend was not available to help her but just wanted to get some information. After they talked for a while, the woman said that she would very much like to work with my friend. What's more, it became clear that there wasn't a scheduling conflict after all. The couple wanted to spend their first two days in town looking at schools, so they wouldn't be ready to look for homes until the third day, when my friend would also be free.

This may seem like a small thing. But even in the small things, the integrity demonstrated is what defines our lives and develops the strength to stand firm when we face more challenging situations. The Bible bears this out. Take Daniel, for instance. Not all of his moral dilemmas look particularly important at first glance. As a young man held captive in the Babylonian empire, Daniel was ordered to eat the king's meat in order to prepare for service in the royal court (see Dan. 1:3–16). But he and his friends refused this meat in accord with Hebrew dietary laws. To them, compliance with these laws signified obedience to God. And this obedience blessed them. After a period of eating only vegetables, the Bible says, "their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat."

Even in the small things, integrity defines our lives.

This instance of integrity helped prepare Daniel when more difficult decisions confronted him—even when his life was threatened. And he was preserved.

It isn't always easy to do what we know is right. Sometimes that's because of fear. If we're afraid that something of value will be lost unless we compromise our integrity, we may be tempted to rationalize that acting from dishonest or questionable motives is justifiable. We see this played out in the world around us daily. The message goes something like this: "It's naive to believe that goodness has a reward. You'd better look out for yourself if you want to get ahead." Yet the only way truly to get ahead is by acting with integrity.

Families, businesses, and communities are blessed immeasurably by those who can be "counted on"—by individuals whose actions spring from their trust in divine Principle, God.

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