THE TWIN VIRTUES OF EXCELLENCE AND INTEGRITY

Daniel’s excellence resulted in great favor from the king. He was considering making him second in the kingdom. As a result, all Daniel’s colleagues became jealous and wanted to ruin his credibility. As they sought ways to do this, something very important was revealed about his character. Daniel 6:4 says, “The governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.” Daniel’s excellent spirit was a function of his exceptional integrity.

This is revealed further when God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel regarding the destruction of Israel. He said, “Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness," says the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 14:14) Daniel’s integrity was so great, God Himself numbered him among Noah and Job.

Integrity comes from the Latin word “integer” which means “one” or “wholeness.” To have integrity means there is no double mindedness or duplicity in one’s character. It is the condition of being whole—undivided in values and conduct. The man of integrity has integrated his whole life around a set of principles. There is no difference in the way he acts from one situation to the next. The way he is in church is the way he is at work, at home or when he is all alone. Integrity is living out one’s values no matter how costly it is to adhere to them, what benefit can be found by compromising them, and especially by how one acts when no one is watching.

Daniel’s excellence offers us an important lesson about integrity. Integrity is not true until it has been tested. It’s easy to hold to one’s principles when it doesn’t cost anything, but it’s different when integrity has a price. It’s easy to eat only kosher foods in Jerusalem when everyone else only eats kosher foods; it’s different when you’re in Babylon and under orders to eat the king’s food. Holding to your principle is risky, you could die. It’s easy to be a praying man when no one threatens you for doing it. It’s different when praying could get you thrown into a lion’s den. That’s when one’s integrity is tested, that’s when integrity is proven—when it costs and your willing to pay the price.

True integrity “does what is right” regardless of the cost. Unfortunately, most people do not do what is “right,” they do what is “right for themselves.” In other words, right and wrong are not decided by an absolute set of values; right and wrong are decided by what best serves one’s interests or ambitions for the moment. “If being honest helps me advance my career, I’ll be honest. If not, I’ll lie. If being married makes me happy, I’ll stay with my wife. If not, I’ll leave her. If telling the truth makes me look good, I’ll tell the truth. If it makes me look bad, I’ll lie.” Conversely, the person of integrity will be faithful to his marriage or tell the truth regardless of how embarrassing the truth may be to him or how much counseling is required to save his marriage.

Daniel’s integrity cost him a night in the lion’s den. Joseph’s integrity cost him more than 10 years in an Egyptian prison. As a young man I had a promising career in construction, I was offered a lucrative job building a bar (which would obviously be a place of drunkenness and revelry). Bound by integrity, I knew it was wrong and refused. That decision cost me my job and my career in construction. (However, it also opened a door to full time ministry.)

True integrity is costly, but the one who pays the fee will be known for his excellence. And excellence opens the door to the next level.

​(This is an excerpt from Gregg Johnson’s newest book, Upward! Taking Your Life to the Next Level. Look for it soon on Amazon and www.greggtjohnson.com)
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