AS A LEADER I VOW TO MAINTAIN MY INTEGRITY

 AS A LEADER I VOW TO MAINTAIN MY INTEGRITY

The bottom line, the foundation, of all leadership is integrity.  2 Peter 3:14 “Make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with Him.”  What does it mean to be spotless and blameless?  Does it mean to be perfect?  Of course not.  Because none of us are perfect.  But it does mean to have integrity.  How do you maintain integrity if you’re not perfect?  By being transparent.  By being authentic.  By being real and vulnerable.  By not hiding your faults.  Those who hide their faults, the Bible says, will fail; but those who confess them and forsake them get a second chance.  You’ve heard me say before that humility is not denying your strength it’s simply being honest about your weaknesses.  So a person of integrity is not claiming to have it all together in every area.  On the contrary, the person of integrity says, “This is where I do have it together and this is where I don’t.”  

Having integrity also means living what you say you believe.  You walk the talk.  You don’t just teach it but you model it.  And you believe it and behave it.  Integrity means telling the truth.  Did you know that there is only one letter difference between “truth” and “trust” because those two really do go together?  All leadership is built on trust.  And trust comes from having the reputation for telling the truth.  It comes from consistently telling the truth even when it’s difficult.  If you’re going to be a leader, you’ve got to have people trust you.  And if you’re going to have people trust you, you must always tell the truth.  

That also means that as a leader, having integrity means keeping your promises.  You don’t say one thing and then do another.  This way you’re able to maintain a clear conscious.  When people know that you are a truth teller they then can trust you.

Proverbs 28:13 “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful but if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”  (Living Bible)  

This is an issue that has direct bearing on fallen leadership and how quickly they should be restored.  Many Christians today misunderstand the difference between forgiveness and trust.  Forgiveness is instant but trust is built over a period of time.  Trust comes from having a track record.  While we must be quick to forgive we are not called to instantly trust people who do not have a track record for being trustworthy.  When someone falls in leadership in your church, forgiveness is to be instant and fellowship is to be instant, but they must prove themselves over a period of time before they are placed back into a position of leadership.  Leaders maintain integrity.