Living With IntegritySample

INTEGRITY CAN BE MEASURED

Integrity is measured by your willingness to do the right thing … even when it costs you.

In 2010, professional golfer Brian Davis was pursuing his first PGA tour win. When regulation play ended, Davis was tied for first place with Jim Furyk. Deciding a winner required a playoff.

On the very first hole, Davis’ approach shot to the green rolled off and settled in a hazard among rocks and twigs. After chipping the ball back onto the green, he seemed poised to match scores with Furyk and extend the playoff. Instead, he stopped play and motioned for a rules official. To everyone’s amazement, Davis called a penalty on himself – in effect, handing the victory to his opponent. It was a stunning moment.

What happened? On his backswing, the club barely grazed a twig six inches behind the ball – a violation of PGA rules. The movement was so slight that no one but Davis could have seen it. Even with slow motion replay the twitch was nearly indiscernible. But Davis knew the truth. The mistake not only cost him his first championship victory, but his prize winnings dropped by nearly half a million dollars. He later explained that, even though the consequences of his admission were severe, “It’s one of the best things I’ve done … I did the right thing.”

A lot of motives drive decision-making in our society. Quick and easy fixes. Personal gain. Maintaining creature comforts. What about you? What place does integrity hold in your decisions? Are you willing to do the right thing even if God and your conscience are the only witnesses? The best choices are made from a deep well of character. It’s about doing what’s right simply because it’s the right thing to do … even when it costs us. Integrity like that honors the Lord.

For a daily dose of encouragement and perspective, check out Jim Daly’s blog, Daly Focus, at JimDalyBlog.com.