James 1:2-4 - Integrity

Integrity, what does that mean? Well, did you know that the word integrity comes from and has evolved from the Latin adjective integer? Yes, integer, meaning whole or complete. So, integrity means wholeness or oneness. I like how Pastor Rick Warren talks about this.

A lot of people think of their life like a pie, and the different parts of their life are the pieces of the pie. This slice of the pie is my career. This is my work life. This is my spiritual life. Then this is my family life. That one is my social life. Then over here is my secret life — my compulsions, addictions, and the things nobody else knows about.

If you segment your life like that, you lack integrity, because your life is not a whole. Integrity means you’re the same person with everybody, in your speech, actions, and motives, no matter which part of life you’re dealing with.

Integrity is essential, and it is the opening theme in the book of James. Let’s dive in:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - ‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Did you catch it? Yeah, me neither. Let me draw it out, and get you there as I did this morning. We read these few verses, and they build on each other, and James lands this thought with us becoming “perfect” and complete, lacking nothing. Trials, testing, hardship, leads, and produces steadfastness, and that, in its full effect, will make us perfect. This word perfect is so important that James refers to it seven times. The word perfect in Greek and Hebrew means wholeness, living a fully integrated life. Integrated, or integrity, where our actions are always consistent with our beliefs. Here we see, and James is driving into the importance of us living a whole and full life that is in step with Jesus. 

So, now having that understanding and context, let's go back and reread the verses. 

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” - ‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Our circumstances, our trials, and the challenges of life that come our way are ultimately a part of the development of our character and integrity. These trials do not produce faith in us, they test and press on the faith that already exists in us, and that faith produces steadfastness, or in other versions endurance. Think of this as a new runner. When I picked up running, I was not able to just lace up my shoes and run a half-marathon. I started slow, then days, and weeks later, I added more miles and then miles and more miles, and after time I was able to run thirteen miles. This took time, patience, and hard work and effort, but it produced a great result. This is how our character and integrity works. Over time, pressed on, headwinds of trials and challenges, we are refined into someone more like Jesus. 

God desires us to be whole, full of integrity and character. But unfortunately, most human live fractured and compartmentalized lives and pastor Rick mentioned above. We get wrapped up in our reputation, but God cares about our character, and there is a big difference. Reputation is how others see us; character and integrity are how God sees us. Let us today shift our focus away from how the world and others see us and have a deep and growing desire to work on how God sees us. Integrity, the `wholeness of our life! When we shift this perspective and have this mindset, then and only then can we have joy when we face the trials of life.