HOw INtegrity Heals Us
Have you ever felt like you’re not quite the same person in every part of your life? You might be confident and honest at work, light-hearted with friends, and guarded with family. You’re still you, of course—but different roles, environments, and expectations can pull us in opposite directions. If we’re not careful, we start to live fragmented lives—split between who we are and who we think we need to be.
The Bible has a word for the healing of this inner split: integrity.
Integrity Is More Than Consistency
Integrity isn’t just about being the same person in public and private. Scripture shows us it’s deeper than that. In Proverbs 20, Solomon tells us that integrity is a righteous wholeness. It means living a life aligned with God—not just with your own self-image or expectations.
True integrity, then, is not simply about self-expression or moral perfection. It’s about becoming whole again in relationship to the God who made us.
How Do We Acquire Integrity?
Solomon offers four ways integrity is formed in our lives—and all of them are about healing what shame and fear have broken.
Worship (v.12):
Integrity starts with turning our focus from ourselves to God. Worship reminds us who we are by reminding us whose we are.Diligence (v.13):
Growth in integrity takes effort. We don’t stumble into wholeness. We open our eyes, do the work before us, and trust that God uses our faithfulness.Community (vv.18–19):
Integrity isn't built alone. Wise counsel and godly relationships help shape who we are becoming.Patience (vv.21–22):
Wholeness takes time. Our culture glorifies speed, but God shapes us slowly, deeply, and meaningfully. That’s why shame often flares when our growth feels too slow—but Jesus meets us there.
Jesus Heals Our Split Selves
We often think the path to integrity is either discovering our true selves or performing better. But Jesus offers a better way. He doesn’t demand perfection or polished personas—He offers healing.
Like the woman in Mark 5, who touches Jesus’ robe hoping for physical healing, we come with our brokenness. But Jesus offers more than symptom relief—He restores our whole selves. He sees our wounds and our shame, and still calls us “Daughter,” “Son.” By His wounds, we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).
Keeping Integrity Is About Where We Look
Proverbs 20 ends by pointing to the “innermost parts” of who we are (vv.27, 30). Not the image we project, but the heart that God sees and lovingly restores.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” That’s the life of integrity. Not a life free of flaws, but one shaped daily by Christ’s patient, healing presence.
Reflection Questions:
In what areas of your life do you feel tempted to split or hide your true self?
What does it mean to you that integrity is about being “true to the Lord”?
Which of the four pathways (worship, diligence, community, patience) do you need most right now?
How might Jesus be inviting you into healing and wholeness today?
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