Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. (Proverbs 10:9)
“Clark, where were you? Superman was just here and he…”
“I’m sorry, Lois,” Clark says as he sets a cup of coffee on the desk next to her. “There was a line at the coffee machine.”
Most of us are at least aware of the trial and tribulations of superheroes who try to live normal lives on the side. We chuckle as supposedly intrepid reporters fail to see through the thin disguises and lame stories. We chuckle also at the superhero who expects to get away with the subterfuge. Somehow, he/she expects to be able to live two lives, or effectively walk two paths at the same time.
Integrity is about being integrated. It’s about being whole…undivided. Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” That’s the beauty of integrity. You don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to remember. If you walk down one path for twenty feet, then dash through the woods to another path and walk on it for nineteen feet, then dash back through the woods to get to the first path (or to a third!) you end up using a lot of energy. You don’t make as much progress on any of the paths as you would if you just stayed on one, and given time, you do get discovered.
The problem is, walking on only one path is difficult. The other path, like the other grocery line, always looks like it’s shorter, or prettier, or easier, or populated with more friends, or provides a “better reputation....” But wait, no, the first path was better after all. Until…sigh… just from a practical perspective, walking with integrity – no matter how hard – is wise. Trying to walk two or more – no matter how innocent each is – is exhausting.
“I’m sorry, Lois,” Clark says as he sets a cup of coffee on the desk next to her. “There was a line at the coffee machine.”
Most of us are at least aware of the trial and tribulations of superheroes who try to live normal lives on the side. We chuckle as supposedly intrepid reporters fail to see through the thin disguises and lame stories. We chuckle also at the superhero who expects to get away with the subterfuge. Somehow, he/she expects to be able to live two lives, or effectively walk two paths at the same time.
Integrity is about being integrated. It’s about being whole…undivided. Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” That’s the beauty of integrity. You don’t have to pretend. You don’t have to remember. If you walk down one path for twenty feet, then dash through the woods to another path and walk on it for nineteen feet, then dash back through the woods to get to the first path (or to a third!) you end up using a lot of energy. You don’t make as much progress on any of the paths as you would if you just stayed on one, and given time, you do get discovered.
The problem is, walking on only one path is difficult. The other path, like the other grocery line, always looks like it’s shorter, or prettier, or easier, or populated with more friends, or provides a “better reputation....” But wait, no, the first path was better after all. Until…sigh… just from a practical perspective, walking with integrity – no matter how hard – is wise. Trying to walk two or more – no matter how innocent each is – is exhausting.
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