INTEGRITAS (2)

TOPIC: INTEGRITAS (2)
TEXT: ACTS 5:1-10
MEMORY VERSE: “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” – Proverbs 19:1

TRUE LIFE STORY: A story was told of a man who claimed to have integrity; he bided for a contract worth millions of naira and the Director General (DG) of the Commission invited him to his office. On this fateful day, he came for the meeting on a bike, he has kept his integrity in business all this while; as he entered into the complex and straightaway he was ushered in into the DG’s office. The DG greeted him and said, I was told that you are a man of integrity and that you never compromised. The man said, yes Sir, I have made integrity my watchword ever since I was born. The DG said to him, yes, I will gladly give you the contract; we need a man of integrity like you in our nation. But first I saw via the CCTV camera that your bike man is still by the gate, so go and despatch him, give him this one hundred thousand naira and come back for the continuation of our talk and possibly sign the contract papers.

He collected the one hundred thousand and on his way downstairs he thought to himself, one hundred thousand naira for a bike rider I know from nowhere? The bike fare is not up to two hundred naira, why this huge amount of money. So he came to the bike man and gave him five thousand naira and pocketed the remaining sum. He then rushed back to the DG’s office and the man asked him again, “Do you say you are a man of integrity. He answered in the affirmative, yes Sir. The DG now called his personal assistant to bring the bike man into his office, unknown to him, the DG has told the security man immediately the man came that they should not allow the bike man to go until he finishes with the contractor. The bike man was brought in and the DG asked him, how much this man gave to you, the man said, five thousand naira Sir. The DG asked the contractor again, “Are you still a man of integrity?” Though according to, this was his first time this man would indeed compromise his integrity, he lost a multi-million naira contract in compromise. What a pity!

Do I need to tell you integrity pays? Yes, it pays to those who stick to it to the end; never live a double standard life. Appreciate whatever you have and thank God for it. Do not copy a man who is earning one hundred and fifty thousand naira as monthly salary and he is building mansions here and there. Don’t let it be your concern; what concerns you is how to please God. Each and every one of us shall give account of himself to God, whatever a man gathered by fraudulent means, he will by the same way lose it. Devil does not have free gift, such a man may be making the money, but where is he spending it. Check his life, consider his family; you will surely know there is no free gift from the devil; he’s losing something unknown to him.

Ananias with Sapphira his wife sold a possession and wanted to be recognized as a generous couple, but was not what they appeared to be. They lied to the Holy Spirit and to the first Church and they paid with their dear lives. Have you compromised too? Can people trust you? When you are asked to resume at 8 O’ clock, what time do you resume? Maybe you don’t even go at all? God is watching you. As for those who are honest, never let this virtue leave you, keep at it, your day will come. You may not have enough money now, people may be mocking you, but do not compromise. The righteous God will visit you at the appointed time.

God came for Joseph, he was elevated to the post of a prime minister and when God came for Ananias and Sapphira too, they died in their prime. Little that a righteous man has is better than having much with no peace of mind (Proverbs 15:6). In more than 131 verses, God mentioned the rewards that will follow a righteous and wicked man. You need to consider your life and imbibe the virtue of integrity in all that you do. Say to the righteous, it shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

Word Affirmation: "And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee." - Genesis 17:6 (Don't just say it, mean it!)

“Can you say like the Psalmist, “The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me”?”

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