A casual perusal of Job 1.1-2.1 is enough to discover the central theme of the entire book. Notice the very first thing Satan attempts to get Job to do? Notice what it is that Satan tries to get Job to give up? So what is the story of Job really about? On all three counts the answer is identical: Integrity.

In the last Presidential Campaign there was one thought that Bill Clinton had to overcome to win the presidency. There was one characteristic that George Bush had much of, and Bill Clinton had none of. This one thing had to be put down in the minds of the American people, or at the very least made a non-issue. The battle against this thing came in the form of a phrase spread by Clinton supporters: "Character doesn't matter." The battle was over integrity. The phrase might as well have been "Integrity doesn't matter."

The only way Clinton could get past his draft dodge, his affair with Gennifer Flowers, and his record of broken promises in Arkansas was to down-play integrity. And it worked, because enough people in this country didn't have enough integrity themselves. For many, voting for Clinton was penance. By allowing integrity not to matter in the highest office of the land, people could feel better about the sins they themselves have committed. It made people feel good about themselves, and now we reap the rewards of this philosophy. We have a President who is still trying to make people feel good but without enough integrity to be good. The message to be learned is: "Integrity, character, matter."

How does this relate to us, the body of Christ? Jesus said:

"You are the salt of the Earth, don't lose your saltiness; you are the light of the world, so let your light shine that men may see your good deeds and praise God; do not think I have come to abolish integrity, I come to fulfill it; Do not even think about murdering, or sleeping with someone, because your thoughts are related to your integrity; simply let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no; love your enemies. Do all this because God's people are a people of integrity."

What Is integrity? Webster defines integrity as the quality or state of being complete or undivided; see HONESTY, UNITY. I like that. Read it again. Now think back to the questions I raised at the beginning. They are questions to help you explore your own integrity.

How honestly you answered those questions is also a matter of integrity. Why? Because being honest is not all that integrity is, but unity, completeness is also essential. If who people see you are, and who you really are, are not in unity, then you lack integrity. You are claiming something about yourself that isn't true. That is more than dishonest, it divides your very being. Jesus doesn't desire followers who are one thing to the world and another inside. If He had wanted that He would have gone to the Pharisees. Jesus wants followers who have inner unity. Followers who are honest with themselves before God, and each other.

A person without integrity has no foundation for his life or his actions. He becomes unstable and loses the respect of others. He will lack leadership skills because he has no foundational beliefs. This man is either completely self-centered, or else his only goal is to please people, and in his attempt to please everyone, he will please no one. Integrity demands a foundational belief in something, something which all decisions can be measured against. The key to being a man or woman of integrity, is convictions. Not prejudices, not opinions, not anything based on emotional attachments. Although feelings are legitimate, and they may even be biblical, we need to make sure the Bible forms our convictions, rather than relying on our feelings. Jerry White, in his book Honesty, Morality and Conscience, gives a very practical plan for developing convictions, and, therefore, lays the groundwork for being a follower with integrity. He suggests the following:

• Have a daily devotional time with God.
• Obey what you know.
• Have fellowship with other Christians.
• Make Christ the center of your life.
• Confess known sin.

These are the basics- the "musts"-of the Christian life. In leading a Christian life, integrity matters. The integrity of the body is of vital importance, as any other condition is sinful and will limit your effectiveness to minister to a depraved world. Develop convictions, read the Word to gain further insights to develop integrity, pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit in your life, obey His every command, and share your insights with others. Let me close with a reading of James chapter one verses two through four from Phillips translation:

"When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character, men of integrity with no weak spots."

A good description of Job. May it be a good description of us as well.