At my house, we play Monopoly the ruthless way. If someone lands on your property but you aren’t paying attention and the next person starts their turn, you miss out on collecting rent! The point we are trying to teach is that you need to be paying attention to your business or you will be cheated. But is it honest?
Here are some common integrity and honesty testing situations. If I drive over the speed limit, but no one catches me, is it still wrong? What about if there are no other cars on the road, can I run a red light if I’m late? If my friend asks for my opinion but my opinion might upset them, should I keep it to myself? When someone has hurt me, should I stay quiet and let it blow over or should I talk to them about it? If I never get caught cheating at taxes or not reporting income, is it still ok? Can I do something other than my job while I am on company time? Is it ok to use company resources for personal things? There are tons more. Our integrity is tested every day.
Being honest is an always thing. Showing integrity requires constantly being true to what is right. Having integrity means doing the right thing even if no one is watching. It also means, not doing the wrong thing, even if no one but me will know. I believe that if you are honest in the little things, it will be easier to be honest in the big things. If you walk with integrity every day, it becomes a habit, and that habit will carry you through tough decisions.
I can’t tell you if you should change the way you play Monopoly. But I can tell you that the bible says living a life of integrity and honesty will always be a blessing. Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. I want my life to prosper, I need to work on walking in integrity.
