CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY continued
“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” (Proverbs 22:1) A good name and character go together.
When we see in our culture here in the West the surging moral relativism as well as our eroding value system, the family breakdown, sleazy television, movies and music that is poisoning the mind of our young people etc, we realize something of the challenge that is before us.
When we couple this moral breakdown with our subprime mortgages, fraud, corruption in our political system, lies that are being told, a media that report their own agenda rather than the truth, we realize the battle before us. Our public schools do not teach right from wrong, but only tolerance. Our young people as well as older people have no moral compass.
The following story illustrates very clearly what is happening in our culture, especially in the business as well as stock market world. The story is told about the farmer who left his prized cow with a friend so he could go on a trip. “The cow died while the farmer was gone, and he was distraught to learn the sad news upon his return. ‘I was going to sell the cow,’ he said. ‘I desperately need the money.’ Then he decided, ‘I will still sell the cow – by lottery.’ He sold 300 tickets at $2 each and presented the dead cow to the winner of the lottery. When the winner complained that he had no use for a dead cow, the farmer apologized and returned the $2 for his ticket – and retained the remaining $598!”
This is one picture of what has been occurring in the business world, particularly in the technology industry. Instead of bricks and mortar, investors have become shareholders in ideas and dreams, and in some cases, schemes. In the wonderful vision of hindsight, many, especially venture capitalists, are realizing they have been buying stock in “dead cows.”
When we think of character we must also give attention to ‘integrity.’ A man of character will also be a man of integrity.
The definition of integrity: unimpaired moral principles; honesty, soundness, the quality of being whole or undivided. Some of the synonyms that go along with integrity are words like: virtue, honor, morality, principle, uprightness, righteousness and goodness.
Sometimes we can tell more about a word, not from the synonyms, but what we call the antonyms or words that have the opposite meaning. Antonyms for integrity: corruption, deceit, disgrace, dishonesty, disloyalty, double-dealing, duplicity and faithlessness are just a few.
What does Scripture say? The Hebrew word for integrity would be the word “tom:” it means completeness, simplicity, upright, integrity.
It is interesting that a root of the word ‘tom’ which is the Hebrew word for integrity is “Tummiyn.” The Tummiyn was one of the objects in the high priest breast plate. It was an emblem standing for complete truth.
Perhaps one of the ways to interpret the word integrity is complete truth. This brings out the idea of several things. First, a man or woman of integrity is transparent. Secondly, there is no exaggeration with a man of or woman of integrity. And thirdly, a man or woman of integrity is a person that can be counted on. They mean what they say and they do what they say. They walk the talk.
The church is the institution that God has given to us to teach us what character really is. We need men and women of integrity.