Lucho Llanca

“There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.” Tom Peters One of the most refreshing things we find in this world today is finding people who ACTUALLY DO what they SAY! It is almost like a shock to see someone at an event or meeting when he has previously told us, “I’ll try to be there.”

Today that statement is seen as one of a shy, or worse, a deceitful person who is doing everything but saying directly, I WILL NOT BE! We live in a world where it is more frequent not to do what one has said, than to DO what one has said, fulfilling what it says in Romans 1:31. We think nothing of the fact that people get divorced as often as they get married. We don’t think anything of a football coach walking out of his 5 year contract in the middle of the second year. We think nothing of infidelity in any of our relationships. We don’t think ANYTHING about these situations because really today PROMISES MEAN NOTHING! We even see a person who does what he says, with a degree of suspicion as to the “WHY” of having done what they said.

Somehow, we need to change our mode of operation (modus operandi). We would do well to follow the instructions of Ed McCracken (CEO of Silicon Graphics) who has said, “Taking responsibility is part of our corporate culture that we honor above all else. If at any time there is a choice between corporate policy and personal responsibility, we have told our employees to choose personal responsibility.” If he is not a Christian, he is surely embracing Christian principles. Surely this sounds like the ninth commandment that speaks against lying, or bearing a false witness.

Harlan Randolph is credited with saying, “Honesty is not the BEST policy, it is the ‘ONLY’ policy. Unfortunately, the reality is that there are many other options that we pursue. We must begin to walk in a lifestyle in which, WE DO WHAT WE SAY! Our “YES” must be “YES!”, and our “NO” must be exactly that: NO! What are we saying to our children when we say “NO”, and then, after five minutes of their begging and pleading, we say “YES”? He tells them that no matter what has been said; if they continue to antagonize, they may get a changing response. How refreshing it is to find someone who performs according to his words! How many lawyers would we need today if people did according to their words? And, regarding this, it is said that 90% of the time one or the other (perhaps both) is lying in any civil or criminal proceeding. Integrity builds a force of energy within you that can deal a blow to any claim. Similarly, walking in “lack of integrity” will take energy from you and eventually leave you lifeless. You can get what you want most for a season, but then you will be caught. Employers are petitioning and advocating for employees who lead a lifestyle of integrity, even though they do not walk that lifestyle themselves. A sure way to get promoted is to be one who DOES what he SAYS! It will definitely cost you a lot in convenience and maybe even lose a few friends, but the ultimate reward is worth much more. “Character is what you do in the dark.” Dwight Moody