Keep Your Integrity! - WHY WE NEED INTEGRITY

What makes integrity so vital that each of us needs it?  You need integrity because Satan had challenged Jehovah, and he has challenged  you.  That rebellious angel made himself Satan, or "Resister," back in hte garden of Eden.  He smeared Jehovah's good name by implying that God is a bad, selfish, and dishonest Ruler. Sadly, Adam and Eve sided with Satan, rebelling against Jehovah.  (Genesis 3:1-6) Life in Eden had given them countless opportunities to strengthen their love for Jehovah.  But at the time of Satan's challenge, their love was not complete, sound, or whole.  Another question arose:  Would any humand remain loyal to Jehovah God out of love for him?  In other words, are humans capable to showing integrity?  That question came to the fore in the case of Job.

Job lived int he days when the Israelites were in Egypt.  His integrity was unique. Like us, the man was imperfect. He made mistakes.  However, Jehovah loved Job for his integrity.  It seems likely that Satan had already taunted Jehovah about human integrity. So Jehovah called Satan's attention to Job.  That man's life course exposed Satan as a liar!  Satan demanded that Job's integrity be put to the test.  Jehovah trusted his friend Job, and He allowed Satan to test him. - Read JOB 1:8-11. 

Satan is cruel, and he is a murderer. He attacked Job's belongings, robbing him of his wealth, his servants, and his reputation in the community. He attacked Job's family, robbing him of his ten beloved children. Then he attacked Job's body, robbing him of his health by afflicting him  with painful boils that covered him from head to foot.  Job's wife was distraught and overwhelmed with grief;  she urged him to give up, to curse God and die.  Job himself wished for death, but still he kept his integrity. Then Satan tried a different method of attack. He used three men who were companions of Job. The men visited Job for days, but they offered  no comfort.  Instead they heartlessly lectured and scolded him.  They claimed that God was behind his troubles and cared nothing about his integrity.  They even suggested that Job was a wicked man who deserved the terrible things that were happening to him! - JOB 1:13-; 2:7-11; 15:4. 5; 22:3-6; 25:4-6. 

How did Job handle all that adversity?  He was not perfect. He angrily rebused his false comforters and he uttered what he admitted was wild talk.  He defended his own righteousness more than he did  God's.  (Job  6:3; 13:4, 5; 34:5)  However, even is his worst moments, Job refused to turn against Jehovah God.  He refused to believe the lies of those false friends.  He said:  "It is unthinkable for me to declare you men righteous!  Until I die, I will not renounce my integrity!"  (Job 27:5) That is a statemetof vital importance.  Job refused to give in; we can do the same.

Satan makes the same charges about each of us. How are you involved?  In effec, he says that you do not really love Jehovah God, that you will stop serving him to save yourself, and that any integrity you have is false!  (Job 2:4, 5; Revelation 12:10) How does that make you feel?  It is hurtful, is it not?  However, think about this: Jehovah trusts you  enough to offer you a marvelous opportunity.  Your integrity and help prove Satan a liar.  And He promises to help you do that.  (Hebrews 13:6) What a privilege  to be trusted by the Sovereign of the uiverse!  Do you see why integrity is so important?  It enables us to refute Satan's lies and to uphold our Father's good name and support his way of ruling. How can we build up this vital quality?

Next time: Keep Your Integrity! - HOW CAN WE CAN KEEP INTEGRITY AT THIS TIME

From the jw.org publications