My Journal and Diary
2021
January
Saturday, January 9th, 2021
Same Inside as Outside
Have you ever found yourself under the authority of a misguided leader? Have you ever wondered at your own motivation as you lead others? Sometimes there is a disconnect from what a person says, and what a person does. Today's Psalm is a good example to follow in the pursuit of loyalty and justice.
Intuitively, we all know that directors should have an organization's best interest in mind, and that they should avoid personal agendas which will only undermine a group's purposes.
In Psalm 101, King David speaks to God about his plans as King. He acknowledges that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things, and affirms his commitment to a path of loyalty and justice.
What is most remarkable to me, and I suspect most unusual for many politicians, is David's commitment to personal integrity. He says he will walk with integrity of heart, in his house — which I read to mean, even when nobody is looking! On the surface, it appears that he understands that to be a good leader, one must not only be a good example, but be principled in character. He commits to avoid that which is base and degrading; he promises to shun the work of those who abandon God; he vows to be unfamiliar with the ways of evil.
Unfortunately, David was not able to uphold his commitment. King David murdered Uriah, the Hittite, so that he might take Uriah's wife as his own.
Without the inner life-change available through the work of Jesus on the cross, we are all at risk of failing in loyalty and justice. When Jesus changes our hearts, we will become genuine on both the outside and the inside. Then you will be able to actively protect those around you from slander, from disdain, and from deceit! You will align yourself with righteous people, and reject those who love evil!
Let us recommit to integrity of heart, and invite the Holy Spirit to change us from within.
Amen