Paul's Ministry ManualSample

  

Living With Integrity

Sometimes our actions can be misunderstood. A pastor friend moved his family to a town some distance away, and as expected, he was very busy settling into a new house. As a result, several weeks went by before he contacted an old friend who had lived there for a number of years. However, he couldn’t really explain the delay. His friend rebuffed him, saying, “You should have got in touch as soon as you arrived.” Their friendship has never recovered.

Being misunderstood or causing offense is so easy to do, and this is particularly true for those in Christian ministry. You don’t have to be around a church very long without hearing someone in ministry criticized. People in positions of Christian leadership have to have particularly thick skin. The Apostle Paul recognized this. He had changed his plans regarding visiting the Corinthians twice before he wrote his second letter to them, and he needed to explain why. 

So before informing the Christians at Corinth of his final change of plans, Paul tries to assure them of his dependability in 2 Cor. 1:12-14. He lets the Corinthians know ahead of time that he has delayed his coming to avoid a painful visit. He assures them he has their best interests at heart.

He writes in v. 12, “Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.”

Knowing that some would still not understand, he adds, “Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand” (13 NLT). He holds integrity as a fundamental principle of life and ministry. What you see is what you get. 

That’s what Jesus Himself meant when He said, “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all . . . All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Mat. 5:33-37) That’s integrity. If you make a commitment, people can take your word for it.

This is a first principle of ministry. The messenger speaks as loudly as the message. Be honest and open and clear in all you do. Can people depend on you? When they talk about you, do they say, “He’ll never let you down,” or “You can trust her to do what she says”? 

Prayer: Lord, let my heart be pure and my moral character sound. May people say of me with good cause, “Yes, if he says so, you can depend on him”; or “She is absolutely trustworthy.” And, Lord, may I be like that for the sake of Your reputation. Let me never shame You or embarrass You. I ask this for Your glory.