The holy book and even the ordinary world has numerous examples of people who have stood tall and held their heads high despite lots of temptations to compromise their integrity. Despite being in a vulnerable position at the beginning, Joseph distinguished himself as a man who could not compromise his chastity and integrity for the pleasures of the world by rejecting Potiphar’s wife and her advances and ending up in prison instead, Genesis 39:1-6. And even after going on to occupy an influential position in Egypt, he did not use the position to enrich himself or compromise his position.

We learn not only from these biblical reflections but also through real-life experiences that integrity and righteousness outweigh evil deeds. More often we as Christians find ourselves in compromising situations and go ahead doing wrong because we ‘did not have a choice.’ The truth of the matter is that fear of the consequences of doing good overpowers our integrity. It is also said that sometimes we do not engage in vices like corruption or immorality because the opportunity has never presented itself. In case we find ourselves in such situations, can we stand up and be counted like Joseph? Do we stay away from sin because we are convicted it is wrong or because someone is watching?

1st Peter 3:16 reminds us that; having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. A good conscience makes a Christian walk in firm strides and with the confidence of a saint without having to look over his shoulders or running away from the shadow.

As Christians, we should stand in the forefront by shunning situations that can compromise our faith and help others deal with challenges of integrity. The privilege of being a Christian is that the holy spirit is our permanent companion and will always get us out of trouble if we invite him in our life. Better still we should arm ourselves with the word of God. Proverbs 11:3 encourages us to be guided by our integrity and not be destroyed by perversion. It is only by always being aware of our responsibilities and the fact of our existence on earth to serve God and humanity that we can separate ourselves from acts that can compromise our integrity.

By: James Fredrick Ochieng, BSK Life member