Article Library

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By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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Pursue the Path of Integrity

“Wherever God may take you, however God may use you, in whatever way He pleases, may authenticity and integrity shape your life. It won’t happen automatically, and it won’t happen quickly. Each day you invest in that pursuit.”

The Challenging Pursuit of Integrity

“Integrity. The word means ‘an unimpaired condition, soundness, the absence of duplicity and hypocrisy.’ It’s being the same thing before the public eye as you are behind the scenes and the same thing when no one is looking as you are when half the world is watching. That’s integrity. It has to do with financial matters. It has to do with ethical issues. It has to do with simply telling the truth. Believe it or not, that will be your greatest challenge in ministry, just simply telling the truth. Most counselees don’t want to hear it. Most congregational members won’t want you around. Even friends will decide to choose others as their friend if you are given to absolute truthfulness. The only one who was perfect and never told anything but that, they nailed to a cross before He turned 35. This is not an easy path, and it certainly is not going to be something that will come naturally. So your pursuit of it must be deliberate with determination to swim upstream.”

Take Personal Delight in Intimacy with God

“One godly man put it like this, ‘A transparent, honest soul is a haven for the Spirit of God.’ The personal delight of intimacy with God. You don’t simply preach God. You don’t simply study God. You have an intimate walk with God. A life of integrity provides that reward.”

Seek to Give and Serve

“You have no rights as a pastor. You’re a servant. Don’t step into a church with plans of entitlement, or you’ll fail miserably, or at least secretly. Our Lord and Savior set the pattern to give and to serve, to give and to serve. They looked for evidence, and there was no evidence. ‘No ground of accusation, no evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful.’ It’s a synonym for integrity. And ‘no negligence or corruption was found in him.’ That’s the guy I want to follow. That’s the staff I want to be on. That’s the coach I want to play for. That’s the teacher I want to learn from.”

Seven Subtle Siphons

“Here are seven subtle siphons that keep you from a life of integrity: Words without actions. Busyness without purpose. Calendars without a Sabbath. Relationships without mutual nourishment. Personality without accountability. Six, giftedness without humility. Seven, we’re back where we started, like old Waylon Jennings sings. A biblical theology without personal integrity.’”

Additional Resources

First, sign up for our Chuck’s Insights on Ministry email where we bring you his best thoughts on preaching, leadership, and ministry each week. By signing up, you’ll instantly receive a one-page checklist with 20 preaching insights from Chuck. See this page’s sidebar.

Second, check out our new Preach The Word articles and video series on YouTube where we’re teaching Chuck’s best insights on this important calling.

Third, listen to Chuck’s messages to those in ministry through our Seminary Chapels page. For decades, he offered students at Dallas Theological Seminary his best thoughts on church leadership and ministry. Now, we have put them at your fingertips. Also, you can find them through this YouTube playlist we created for you.

Fourth, if you don’t own a copy of Chuck’s book on preaching, Saying It Well, we highly recommend you add it to your library. It’s his preaching memoir that is also like a practical preaching manual. You won’t be able to put it down.

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