Integrity and flexibility

Last night wife and I had a pretty long discussion of the differences between integrity and flexibility and how they are different. Being flexible, doesn't mean one has to compromise one's integrity... and having integrity, doens't mean one must be inflexible.

A person with integrity problem is a person who generally cannot be trusted. If you know a person who has acted fraudulently against others, chances are, this person will probably act fraudulently against you someday. A person with integrity problem will cause others to have a hard time of trusting him because others would know that this fraudulent person just might do anything for personal gain... I see integrity as essentially something that keeps us from sinning against God.

While flexibility is just being flexible. Main purpose of being flexible is probably to please others. But of course it's important for people who tend to be more flexible to have some integrity. We most certainly don't have to rob a bank for someone we love! ;) I simply believe that as long as something is legal, or something that is not sinful in God's eye, then I can be flexible about it. As long as the job is done... as long as we get to our destination, I don't really care how it's done... or how we get there. We don't have to be so structured, so inflexible to insist doing things in my own way.

I do have a very flexible personality, and sometimes wife can end up seeing me as having no integrity, of course I disagree with that, but I suppose I can see how she sees it that way. We all have our reasons and ways of doing things... who's right and who's wrong? God knows. ;)

Today's reading was about fall of Jerusalem, in it, it did talk about how wicked man will die for his sins, but if he repents(regains his integrity), then he'll be saved. It also talked about how a righteous man somehow end up doing wicked things... and if he doesn't not repent(losing his integrity), then he'll surely die. Flexibility is more of a sign of love..., if you love somebody, you will tend to be more flexible. Some might even go to the extreme of doing evil for the ones that they love. But of course we need to make sure we don't become too flexible to the point of compromising our integrity. God had actually been pretty 'flexible' when it comes to treating the stubborn Jews, God didn't judge them right away, God was hoping that people would soon turn from their evil..., but inevitably, Jews continual integrity problem led to their own destruction.

May God help us maintain our integrity for Him, and help us have more flexibility to tolerate other people in love.