Seen or Unseen - We Know

(photo from cengage.com)

Today, let’s think about integrity. We desperately want to see it in our political leaders, especially those who declare their Christianity all over their campaign literature vying for our votes.

As Christians, it should be upper most in our personal characteristics to show exemplary integrity when we’re in the public eye, as well as when we’re alone walking to our car after a grocery shopping spree. (I use the word spree to make it sound like grocery shopping is fun, when in fact, it can be a financial burden for many to put food on their tables, these days.)

What does exemplary integrity look like to you? Is it okay to cut corners when no one is looking? When you get to your car to unload those expensive groceries and discover there’s something in your cart you didn’t get charged for, do you shrug your shoulders and declare that it’s not your fault the cashier didn’t ring it up? Do we justify not paying for it by arguing that we overpaid for every else in the cart? Or do we take the time to walk back in and pay for it? Afterall, no one will ever know what choice we make. Right? Well, yes, God sees everything, but He’s not going to strike us down with a lightning bolt for stealing the item. We know the right thing to do, but do we always do the right thing?

I’ve dealt with people who showed me they had no integrity at all. Honestly, it hurts. But do I sometimes treat others with less exemplary integrity in my heart? Oftentimes, others can tell when we’re cheating them. They may just lack the guts it takes to confront us.

(photo from changingaging.org)

When we find ourselves in a compromising situation, do we sometimes assure ourselves with statements like “the ends justify the means…”? It can be pretty easy to talk ourselves into justifying something we felt we had to do. Satan is right there to encourage us with excuses for justifying something we know right well we shouldn’t do. Yes, we want to hold politicians (and everyone else) to this standard, but do we measure up?

I don’t bring you these words to beat you up, but to encourage you to good works. Sometimes, we need a loving reminder to check our hearts and make sure the enemy hasn’t worked his way in with subtle deceptions. Just sharing some good points to ponder.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,” - Hebrews 10:24 (NKJV)

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” - James 4:17 (NKJV)

State of the Union Address

(picture from grandhaventribune.com)

Here in America, we regularly sit in front of our televisions or other internet accessing devices, to watch the leader of our great country expound on the state of affairs under his control. We call this the State of the Union Address.

Here in the Williams’ household, my husband and I occasionally sit down and discuss the state of our union. This fall we’ll celebrate thirty-seven years of a terrific marriage and, no doubt, this educational discussion plays a role in that longevity.

But let’s expand further. Every relationship we’re in is a union. What’s the state of those unions? Some are in disrepair and in much need of an overhaul. But, where do we start?

It’s hard to work on any relationship when only one of the parties in the union is aware that there are problems; perhaps impossible. One spouse doesn’t make the marriage work. There are plenty of marriages where one spouse (or perhaps both) is “putting up with” the other without saying a word. So, in name, the marriage exists, but the relationship is not “working”. In order for it to work well for both parties, information on the state of affairs needs to be communicated back and forth.

The same is true about all relationships, be it parent/child, boss/employee or friend to friend. In order for both parties to benefit fully from the relationship, it needs to work for both of them. Now, in a boss/employee relationship if the boss is getting what he’s paying for and the employee is content with what he’s being paid, in essence it’s working for both of them. Perhaps that’s all the relationship necessary. However, the more disclosure there is about what’s expected from each party, the more satisfactory the relationship will be.

In many relationships, we assume what’s expected of us; and we assume the other party knows what we expect from them. Not so. We all know what happens when we assume. Yet, we continue to do it.

This may be a lame example, but, if I assume Dave expects me to put his clean laundry away for him, I might be surprised to discover that it annoys him completely that I mix his socks with his underwear. We can avoid that frustration by discussing the issue. He can put his own clothes away, or I can learn his little idiosyncrasies. But without communication, a simple frustration can eventually lead to a big argument.

The same goes for all of our friendships. If we value our friends, we owe it to ourselves and to them to explore a state of the union address when necessary. We may be burdening ourselves down needlessly. We may be imagining offense where there is none. Or we may be the source of another’s exaggerated frustrations.

Now, unlike our president’s state of the union address, where there is no intelligent exchange of ideas, simply a rendition of what’s on the paper or teleprompter before the most powerful man in American politics [ahem], we can actually benefit by our commitment to the exchange of ideas about how things sit within our relationships. One person can never have absolute say over the union if the other is to feel valued.

One of my favorite scriptures comes from an Old Testament book: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:” ~ Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) Our Creator goes on to say, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

Even in His omnipotence and in His mercy, while pouring out elaborate grace on us, He invites us to reason together with Him. By example, He teaches us to reason with each other.

Who came to mind? What relationship in your life seems one-sided? Pray over the idea of exploring a state of the union exchange with that person, entering the conversation with grace and instruction from God. Divine insight goes a long ways.

This state of the union address is simply a conversation addressing the state of your union.