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Date: 2009-04-21 13:50:03
Title: Integrity Relationships
Integrity Relationships
written by Grant Edwards
Originally published in 1997
Another lesson came as a result of stumbling. Soon after my wife, Barbara, and I were married we went on vacation to Myrtle Beach. One night after walking the beach to pray, to be in the presence of the Lord to gain strength, I fell flat on my face. After walking off the beach, a man called to me from a booth. The booth contained a dart game--throw the darts, tally the score, win big prizes, it was easy said the man.
However, you had to pay to throw the darts. I threw the darts and big points were made, but I had to pay more money; I threw the darts and a smaller amount of points were scored, and I had to pay more money. This continued until I had thrown away a considerable amount of the money I had saved for vacation. Never in my life had I gambled, and never since, so why did I stumble then?
That night, as I sat on a balcony, angry with myself, I asked God, "How does Christianity work? How do you grow strong enough to stay away from temptation?" I had been reading my Bible, praying, witnessing, and sharing my faith, but I still knew something was missing. As I talked with God, He brought Mark 12:28-30 to mind...
"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, 'Of all the commandments, which is the most important?' 'The most important,' answered Jesus, 'is this: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord in one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." [Mark 12:28-30 NIV]
The phrase integrity relationships came to mind as I thought about these verses.
Christianity is not a religion of do's and don'ts, but one of love. Christians are to love God and also love others as themselves. I needed to pray and read my Bible, but emerging from behind the pages of scripture was a living Jesus who wanted a relationship with me, and if I really learned to love Him, that love would provide me with motivation to live a godly life. After all, I wouldn't do anything to threaten the relationship with my wife because I love her, and if I loved Jesus the same way, temptation would be easy to overcome since it's not so difficult to resist something you don't want to do.
I began to realize that holiness wasn't something that you did to get to God; justification at new birth had already brought me into the presence of God. Holiness was something that came from being in the presence of God. A loving relationship with God (with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength) would create integrity in my Christian walk.
Read more from Grant Edwards as he shares about his journey to learn how to reach and keep the harvest. Other related articles include Four Simple Disciplines, Learning to Disciple, and Discipling Another To Love Jesus.
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