What You Need to Keep Things Real
By Rick Warren
“How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9 (NIV)
Cultures around the world are absolutely obsessed with appearance and image. They’re scooting by, they’re skimming, and they’re cheating. They’re not keeping their promises. They’re pretending to be someone they’re not. They don’t have integrity. In other words, they’re hypocrites.
In ancient Greek culture, actors were referred to as hupokrites because they pretended to be someone else. It’s where we get the word “hypocrite.”
When you act one way with one group of people and another way with another group of people, you’re being a modern-day hupokrites. You’re showing a lack of authenticity—a lack of integrity. But God wants you to be exactly who he made you to be, no matter who is watching.
So how do you—as a follower of Jesus—keep it real when so many people are faking it?
There’s only one way. You’ve got to care more about God’s approval than the approval of other people. That’s the only way you’ll ever become a person of integrity.
If you care about what God thinks, you’re going to do the right thing. But if you care more about what other people think, you’re often going to do the wrong thing.
Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (NIV).
The only way to know what God approves of and what he thinks of you is by reading the Bible. You must stay in God’s Word! If you don’t, you will not have the strength and the stamina to live with integrity.
If I don’t have a daily quiet time with God, if I miss it for even a few days, I notice it—and everyone else notices it—because I start getting cranky. If I didn’t stay connected to God through his Word, I would not have any spiritual power to clearly explain the Word of God to you. I would not have the strength to live with integrity.
Living with integrity takes spiritual power because what is right is often unpopular. On your own, you’ll get tired trying to do the right thing, trying to be real, and trying to keep the right motives—so you need to be equipped and refreshed.
Do you want to live as a person of integrity—someone who is the same no matter where you are or who you’re with? Then commit to spending daily time reading and studying the Bible, God’s Word. It’s the only place you’ll find the spiritual power you need.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Discover God’s Answers to Life’s Tough Questions!
What’s the best way to cope with stress? Rebound from failure? Defeat depression? Or have peace of mind?
Pastor Rick shares the answers to these tough questions and much more in his book God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions.
In it, Pastor Rick takes you to God’s Word for answers to twelve of life’s toughest questions, drawing from the examples of people in the Bible who faced the same challenges we face today.
God’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions is our thanks for your gift to help reach more people through Daily Hope—so request your copy of this transformative resource when you give below.
Thank you for your support!
*The USA IRS code permits you to deduct the amount of your financial gift to Daily Hope that exceeds the fair market value of materials you received from Daily Hope.
This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
