From Kym Briggs

Integrity to the Core

SUBSTANCE OVER SHINY

Picture this: a shiny red apple, flawless under the light. You lift it with expectation, bite in… and it crumbles dry, brown and awful. Disappointment in a single bite.

Have you ever had a moment like that? Not just with an apple, but with people? Maybe it was a friend, a leader or someone you admired. What you thought was genuine – honest, polished, the real deal – turned out to be different when you looked closer. The inside didn’t match the outside. That gap between appearance and reality stings. It can leave us cautious, even sceptical. It becomes hard to trust the next ‘shiny apple’.

It’s easy to notice when someone else’s inside doesn’t match their outside. But here’s the real challenge: what about us? When people look closer at our lives, do they find integrity?

As followers of Jesus, we’re called to be more than polished on the surface; we’re called to live in a way that reflects him from the core.

John Maxwell said, “Image is what people think we are. Integrity is what we really are.”

Integrity is more than honesty; it’s alignment between what we say, believe and live. The way of Jesus is about letting him work on our insides, our core, so that we live with integrity. That’s true discipleship.

Paul wrote to Titus, who was leading churches in Crete, a place known for corruption and compromise. Paul urged Titus to appoint leaders of integrity, people who lived out their lives consistent with the Gospel they were preaching.

In Titus 2:7, Paul writes, “And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.”

In Paul’s wisdom, he is saying that, without integrity, the message of the Gospel loses its credibility. If our lives don’t match what we proclaim, why would anyone trust what we say?

Integrity shows up in everyday choices – in how we treat people, handle challenges, act at work or around our friends, and how we respond when no one is watching. God isn’t asking us to impress; he invites us to live authentically, rooted in Christ. And often the cost of integrity is high.

Here’s the thing: the best apples aren’t always the prettiest. Some are bruised and misshapen, but when you bite in, they’re sweet and nourishing. That’s what matters: not the shine, but the substance. Isn’t that the life Jesus invites us to keep growing in? Wouldn’t you rather have the kind of life that’s authentic and healthy? Developing that kind of faith?

As we choose the way of Jesus each day, may the Holy Spirit deepen our integrity from the core.

Reflection

• Where am I relying on appearance instead of allowing Jesus to shape my character?
• What is one habit or attitude the Holy Spirit is highlighting that needs transformational work?
• What step could I take this week that would strengthen the integrity of my life?

Prayer

Dear Jesus, You see past the surface and know my heart. You know my thoughts, my habits, and you love me to the core. I don’t want to just look the part, I want to be real and live with integrity that honours you. Show me the places where my inside doesn’t match the outside. Keep transforming me so my life truly reflects your ways. Help me to be authentic and form my character to display your love and truth, so that people experience your transforming power through me, and you are glorified. Amen.