The halfbaked Bard

Come, He replied, and you will see. John:1:39 Preaching from the pulpit is easy. Do you dare to take them home? Not a pre-planned visit. Do you dare to show them your messy bedroom? Do you dare to show them, how you spend your 'me time'? Do you dare to show them how you react at home? You preach about faith from the pulpit. But at home you fret, you are frustrated, you are angry - faithlessness written all over you. You preach about trust from the lectern. But spit words of venom back home. There is worry when small things are upside down. You speak about purity from the rostrum. Whereas your home is filled with unwholesome talk. Your thoughts are as filthy. What you are in the outside, why are you not at home? This is duality. This is hypocrisy. This is what Jesus addressed as white washed tombs. Give me integrity Lord. Make me reflect you, both in the public and at home. Image credit: https://hareesh.org/blog/2016/5/25/the-dangers-of-duality-recognition-sutra-6

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity He guards the path of the just And protects those who are faithful to Him.  Pro:2:7-8 If you are faithful to Him, consistently follow Him, persistently seek Him; then He is your shield. He will be your protector. He is on your side.  Is He conditional then? A God who is the definition of unconditional love, can He promise something like this? Does He have favourites?  Yet His shield and protection is for all. But if I who trust in my own fortresses and assets choose to come out of His shield, who is to blame? Not Him. For sure. He continues to protect. He continues to provide. His heart yearns for a returning you. For He knows, that that is where you truly belong.  Image credit: https://www.amazon.in/Captain-America-Shield-Adjustable-ANTIQUANA/dp/B0BCGGJK7H

What is integrity?  The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.  To be the same every where.  And it starts at home.  Ps:101:2 I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.  To be the same to your subordinates as well as your children. To be the same to your colleagues as to your family. To be that man or woman of substance everywhere.  - To not look at anything vile and vulgar - To hate all who deal crookedly - To reject perverse ideas - To stay away from evil - To not tolerate people who slander neighbors - To not endure conceit and pride - To search for faithful people as companions - To not allow deceivers to serve my house - To not allow liars to stay in my presence.  Have I been entertaining few of these? Just for a few moments? Just for the fun of it? Have I been consistent? If we dwindle, if we compromise then there is no integrity.  The God we follow is a God of integrity. He is faithful. He is truthful....

Esth:3:4 All the problems started with Mordecai's decision not to bow down before Haman. Though it was a decree passed by the king himself, Mordecai refused to bow down and show respect to Haman. Why? He would have just bowed down? A simple act. Which now puts in danger, the entire race.  The answer Mordecai gives to the palace officials is that, he is a Jew  Now. What is so special about Jews. There would be other Jews as well, who would have bowed down? But probably the conviction of Mordecai would be something like this....The very identity of a Jew is 'aseret ha-dvarim' or the Ten Commandments.And it is this identity that is being exploited and asked to defy, by this act of bowing down. Whether it is because of the defiance of Haman to God of Israel, being and Agagite; or whether there was an idol in his turban which any Israelite would deny bowing down - the exact reason we do not know. But what we do know is that Mordecai is sure of his identity and he wil...

A man of integrity, never wavers from his convictions and beliefs. He sticks on to what he holds as truth, no matter what. Whether it is favourable news or unfavourable news, his actions reflect his stance. None would be able to convince him otherwise.  Just like David who was convinced that killing innocent blood should be punished, be it his subject or his enemy. That made him a righteous king. 2 Sam 4. Compromising and jeopardizing on your stand and acting according to the situation is the antonym of probity. It is unfairness. It is corruption. It is lack of integrity.  And what is the key to integrity? What is the key to consistently obey God?  Psalm:119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 

Jephthah's storyline has a tragic chapter of Mizpah, his daughter. Probably that's the most well known leaf of his story. That he kept his vow to the Lord  That he is a man of integrity. That though Mizpah wept because she would die a virgin and have no children, though she had all the reasons and chances to run away and save herself, she came back so that her father could keep the vow. They were people with integrity to the Lord (in line with yesterday's blog). Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. Mk:12:17 What is God's? Your whole life. Your being. Your character, what you are! What you have! Your assets, your knowledge, your family, your time. Your entire life. Dear one, to yield to the Lord's control, your entire life, because you are His - is the vow you need to keep, that shows your integrity. Not to run after your ambitions, personal and selfish desires which will satisfy your own belly and heart, though it seems the n...

Integrity - the quality of being honest. It means to act / behave / think consistently in one particular manner. Every man has integrity. There is no such thing as lacking it. Instead a man changes his standards and believes because of his integrity to his own self, to protect himself, to make fruitful his own interests. He is loyal to his own self. Hence integrity always  has a second part for its own. Who are you loyal to? Like Loki in Marvel comics. He is always loyal to himself and his beliefs. His number one priority is himself. Yet he is not a man without integrity.  Ps:26:1 For I have acted with integrity I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. If I am a man of integrity, the question that naturally comes along with it whom do I want to satsify. If it's my own self, then I shift stands and fail to trust in Him always. If God and bringing glory to His name is my numero uno priority then I would keep trusting in Him, no matter how bad the situation I'm in...

Serving God when your leaders are there is easy, Following Him when others are looking. It's easy to go hand in hand with other stalwarts. But it tests your mettle, when you walk alone. When none is around, do you walk with Him. When you are in the dark, do you want to walk in the light. Character is what you are in the dark. It tests your strength, when you have to walk alone. Why do we often fall apart, when others are not watching? In the midst of fellowships, you behave right, But at home, the real person comes out. That's because we want to please man rather than God. Do you want to show others, you are pious and God fearing? But when alone, you walk in your own ways. Wanting to live the way you want. To continue in your own comfort zones. But to be in the centre of what God desires Is the key to actual abundant life. To live a life centred around Him always. The invitation is to live a life of integrity.