Day 2 — Your Built-In GPS

“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the perversity of the faithless destroys them.”

— Proverbs 11:3 (BSB)

Have you ever been in a car when the GPS said, “Turn left in 500 feet”? A GPS helps you know which way to go, especially in a place you’ve never been before. Without it, you could end up lost.

Proverbs says integrity works like a GPS: “The integrity of the upright guides them.”

When you’ve already decided to be honest, trustworthy and faithful to God, a lot of decisions become easy. You don’t have to wonder, Should I copy this answer? You already know the answer: no. You don’t have to think, Should I lie to get out of trouble? Your integrity guides you: no. You don’t have to agonize over whether to go along with the crowd when they’re doing something wrong. Your integrity already points the way.

A guy without integrity has to figure out every situation from scratch. What can I get away with? Who will find out? What’s the easiest way out of this? That’s exhausting, and it usually leads to trouble.

Look at the second half of the verse: “the perversity of the faithless destroys them.” Perversity means twisting things, bending the truth, being crooked. When a guy twists the truth or bends the rules, it eventually catches up with him. His own crookedness destroys him. His lies trap him. His cheating ruins his reputation. His broken promises break his friendships.

So how do you build your “integrity GPS”? By deciding ahead of time. Here are some decisions you can make right now:

• I will tell the truth, even when it gets me in trouble.
• I will not cheat, in games, sports or school.
• I will keep my promises.
• I will not take things that aren’t mine.
• I will be the same guy everywhere.

When you’ve already made those decisions, your integrity will guide you when the moment comes.

Think about it: What’s a decision you could make ahead of time that would make future choices easier?

Try this: Write down three “integrity decisions” in your notebook, like “I will not cheat.” Sign your name under them.

Dear God, let integrity guide me like a GPS. Help me decide ahead of time to be honest, trustworthy and faithful to You. Keep me from twisting the truth or bending the rules. In Jesus’ name, Amen.