Integrity is: “The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.”
It has been said that when all else has been said and done, our word is all we have. Living every
moment from integrity may be an impossibility for humanity; after all, only one has been
recorded to walk on water. Often, living a life without integrity seems to bring out the worst
in people and attract harsh and difficult circumstances one might have to deal with. Doing
what you say you will do matters in all relationships. Consider any business relationship
where either party has shown him or herself to be a person who does not value integrity as a
personal quality. It will not take long for the other party to tire of constantly dealing with the
matters that arise from someone dishonest, distrustful, lacks honor, and fails to fulfill
commitments made.
In marriage, integrity is the foundation that keeps that relationship steady and moving forward.
As soon as either party shakes the marriage foundation, it is not long before everyone around
knows the relationship is in trouble. What about children who have been raised by people who
lack integrity? They do not value themselves, others, property, or the law of the land. Soon,
they too will be in situations that require the intervention of authority figures and parents who
must clean up their messes. Parents who value integrity typically teach their children this virtue.
In so doing, they raise them to become men and women of integrity. People who contribute to
society rather than always taking. They are the givers of the world.
Albert Einstein said, “Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”