Are You a Christian in the Small Things?
Bob Foster
From the Navigator Heritage Files: Navigators Log, April 1971
The Cadets of the U.S. Air Force Academy were told by a top general: "The professional officer must be a man of many qualities, but possessing one basic quality mandatory of any officer in the military. This is unqualified integrity.
"Integrity when once compromised is gone forever and is not replaceable," he continued. "It is the true mark of a professional officer. A lack of basic integrity is completely unacceptable in the military services."
This leader was talking about honesty . . . truthfulness . . . uprightness . . . and a moral soundness. Job said, "Till I die I will not sacrifice my integrity" (Job 27:5, Berkley). He was talking about the same qualities: a person who is right with God and others, solid at the core, pure hearted.
"The one who is a Christian in small things is not a small Christian," someone once said.
Can you be too scrupulous? In this day of relativity and situational-ethics, you can't afford to make exceptions on divine requirements. If you desire to move "onward and forward," don't be flexible with your soul. Cheating. Lying. Skimping on your work. "Everybody-does-it" dishonesty. These all are basic sins in a spineless, godless character.
"Any way to get where you want to go" is core-cancer. To walk the chalk line begins with the fiber of your inner character. Diligence that produces blisters on the hand of a Christian is high-powered preaching.
"The integrity of the upright shall guide them" (Prov. 11:3).
You can't vulcanize integrity onto the tread of your soul. Honesty and right-living are re-created by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
Abe Lincoln was a tall, homely country boy serving as a store clerk. Seemingly there was nothing promising on the external that this lad would ever get out of the backwoods. One day on elderly lady was shortchanged. He had failed to give her enough and she hadn't noticed. Those few pennies belonged to her, but she lived several miles from town. After closing the store for the day, he hiked out to the farm to return the money and apologize to her.
Just a few pennies, but Abraham Lincoln moved onward and forward and daily became stronger and stronger. Those few pennies showed up during the Civil War decisions.
"Happy are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!" (Matt. 5:8, Phillips).
The Cadets of the U.S. Air Force Academy were told by a top general: "The professional officer must be a man of many qualities, but possessing one basic quality mandatory of any officer in the military. This is unqualified integrity.
"Integrity when once compromised is gone forever and is not replaceable," he continued. "It is the true mark of a professional officer. A lack of basic integrity is completely unacceptable in the military services."
This leader was talking about honesty . . . truthfulness . . . uprightness . . . and a moral soundness. Job said, "Till I die I will not sacrifice my integrity" (Job 27:5, Berkley). He was talking about the same qualities: a person who is right with God and others, solid at the core, pure hearted.
"The one who is a Christian in small things is not a small Christian," someone once said.
Can you be too scrupulous? In this day of relativity and situational-ethics, you can't afford to make exceptions on divine requirements. If you desire to move "onward and forward," don't be flexible with your soul. Cheating. Lying. Skimping on your work. "Everybody-does-it" dishonesty. These all are basic sins in a spineless, godless character.
"Any way to get where you want to go" is core-cancer. To walk the chalk line begins with the fiber of your inner character. Diligence that produces blisters on the hand of a Christian is high-powered preaching.
"The integrity of the upright shall guide them" (Prov. 11:3).
You can't vulcanize integrity onto the tread of your soul. Honesty and right-living are re-created by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.
Abe Lincoln was a tall, homely country boy serving as a store clerk. Seemingly there was nothing promising on the external that this lad would ever get out of the backwoods. One day on elderly lady was shortchanged. He had failed to give her enough and she hadn't noticed. Those few pennies belonged to her, but she lived several miles from town. After closing the store for the day, he hiked out to the farm to return the money and apologize to her.
Just a few pennies, but Abraham Lincoln moved onward and forward and daily became stronger and stronger. Those few pennies showed up during the Civil War decisions.
"Happy are the utterly sincere, for they will see God!" (Matt. 5:8, Phillips).
