The Cost Of Integrity

So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” (Daniel 6:16)

It was once said that, “If anything counts it is going to cost. If it doesn’t cost, it doesn’t count.” If you know the story of Daniel, this wasn’t his first rodeo when it came to his integrity, but this would prove to be potentially the most costly. Since the kingdom administrators could find nothing immoral or unethical about Daniel, they decided to make his faith illegal.

This is where the rubber hit the road in Daniel’s faith. He had spent his entire life displaying honesty, decency, and godly integrity in government service. He had served faithfully and loyally under every king. He had always done what was best for others, and now He had a choice to make between his faith and all that he had worked for. He could have played it safe and just quit praying for thirty days. He could have closed his windows and prayed in secret. He could have decided to take a month-long sabbatical and gone somewhere else. He could have laid in bed at night and prayed silently, but you see integrity never goes on vacation. Integrity never takes a break.

Daniel had a pretty high price to pay for a lifetime of integrity. Because he refused to give up his faith or practice his faith in secret, he received a death sentence and was forced into the lion’s den. I know what some of you are thinking. You are saying, “But wait a minute. Daniel was delivered from the lions’ den if you keep reading.” Yes, he was, but imagine for a minute that that is where the story stopped, because not everybody that gets thrown into a lions’ den comes out alive.

The only way you will ever maintain your integrity is when you make the same decision that Daniel made. You’ve got to decide every day before you get out of bed, go to school or go to work. You’ve got to make up your mind that your integrity is more important than your safety, your security, your prosperity, or your popularity.

Dear Lord, I realize that the choice to live with integrity is a choice that is costly. So I ask that you would help me see that the cost is worth to life a life of integrity for your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.