I was looking at the paint on our bedroom walls the other day. I painted them four years ago. The job
took much longer than I had hoped or expected (doesn’t it always?!?). Even
though I’m a perfectionist when it comes to painting, my desire to just get
done and get back to life led to a temptation to compromise my usual standards
of neatness. My last painting project in our bedroom was our walk-in closet. Because nobody other
than my family would be entering the closet and because it would be filled with
all kinds of stuff once I was done, I caught myself thinking about painting
faster, cutting corners, settling for only one coat, and being generally sloppy
because, after all, it was only the closet and nobody would ever know. I wanted
to get outside and enjoy the summer.
But my conscience got the better of me. I realized that if I
had compromised my standards, each time I walked into that closet I would know
that even though the rest of the job looked good, the walls hidden in that dark
little space didn’t meet my standard. My painting job would have lacked
integrity.
Integrity is an issue for all followers of Christ regardless
of our age. The dictionary defines integrity
as “firm adherence to a code of moral values” and “the quality of being
complete or undivided.” For Christians in my generation, our compromise
oftentimes takes the form of putting on a good show for others, while living
with lower standards and cutting corners in “the closests” of our lives
frequented only by our selves. . . those places that we think are never seen by
others. However, as youthworkers and parents, we can be sure that our kids’ watchful eyes
see more than we know or imagine.
I believe that the emerging generation of
children and teens have learned well from our example. So much so, in fact,
that they are now a generation where professing Christian kids are less prone
to even try to hide their duplicity. They are marked by an increasing
willingness to wear their lack of integrity on their sleeves with no cares
about what anybody else thinks. For example, I can talk about being a follower
of Christ, eagerly engage in corporate worship, sleep with my girlfriend,
embrace a lifestyle of materialism that leaves me feeling entitled to
everything, cheat in school, etc. . . . and do it all without even thinking there’s
anything wrong or contradictory with any of it. It’s the same lack of integrity
my generation has struggled with, but it’s now wearing a completely different
face.
Charles Colson once wrote, “The church’s singular failure in
recent decades has been the failure to see Christianity as a life system, or
worldview, that governs every area of existence.”[1] In
other words, we lack the integrity that Jesus calls for when he tells his
followers to love the Lord your God with all you are, have, do, and ever will
be (Mark 12:30) . . . consistently. Integrity describes a life that is united
in a complete and consistent whole. An integrated life is one where words,
thoughts and actions consistently reflect the will of God in our lives.
What can we do to counter the loss of integrity in today’s
youth culture and the lives of our kids?
First, we need to take a long, hard look in the mirror to
see what kind of example we are offering, both outside and inside our “closets.” Prayerfully take corrective action where
necessary.
Second, we must map out a lifestyle of joyful integrity
through our daily lives. The way we minister, play, work, worship, relate, and
live all of life should model integrity to our kids.
Third, we must map out a life of integrity through our
words. Never forget that the kids you know and love are on the road to adulthood. Full of
confusion and questions, they want and need your guidance. Speak up loudly and
often, challenging commonly held cultural standards that steer them in the
wrong direction. In addition, don’t be afraid to speak openly about the
specific duplicity you see them adopting in their own lives. Spoken in the
context of a loving relationship, your words have tremendous power.
May God grant us all the grace to live lives marked by an
infectious integrity that fills every room and
closet, both now and for generations to come!
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