One of the characteristics of what has come to be called, "The Greatest Generation" is that they are as good as their word. My father, who was of that generation, could be counted on without question. If he said that he would do it, you could take it to the bank. It was as good as done. That has, regretfully, and to our detriment, become a thing of the past. As a pastor, I am constantly amazed and appalled by the lack of commitment in our culture today. If someone agrees to perform a duty or a ministry, they may show up and they may not. In the book of James it says that we are not to swear by anything in heaven or on earth, that our yes should be yes and our no be our no. In other words, we should be of the character that if we say yes, we don't have to swear. People will know by our integrity that we mean what we say. Perhaps the generalized reluctance to commit to anything is at the root of this crisis in integrity today. We are not commited to anything today, not even our microwaves or toasters. If it doesn't work to our satisfaction we throw it away and get a new one. The world revolves around our convenience. If it is not convenient to fulfill a commitment, we blow it off. What is the answer? Integrity means that our words are integrated with our actions. I believe that when we renew our commitment to Christ and make seeking to know Him first and foremost in our lives then the transformation that He will bring will, as a result, create that integrity in us. The character of Christ will be formed in is. I want to be that kind of person. How about you?
