This short, sad story in Judges 10:6-16 illustrates Israel's collective sin. On a national level, they had abandoned od. Yet choices of integrity always begin on the individual level.

We want our lives to be marked by character and integrity, but just what does this mean? Character is the totality of who we genuinely are inside. It is all that we think and feel, what we truly stand for, which is expressed in our pattern of behavior.

Integrity is a part of our character and is best known by three behaviors:

1. Telling the truth.
2. Keeping one's promises.
3. Taking responsibility for one's behavior.

In this story, the people suffer because they broke their promise to follow God. However, they show integrity in how they take responsibility for their choices. They erable without God. All of us fall short at times, but we should not wallow in our misery. We sin; but with integrity, we do our best to restore our broken relationships.

Not only does our integrity protect us, but it also leaves a legacy of stability for our children. Children watch closely and learn how to handle difficult situations from their parents. This makes it vital for us to make good decisions and exhibit clear thinking over many years. In their own troubled times, adult children who have inherited this legacy of stability will ask, "What would Mom and Dad do? How would they think this through? What advice would they seek from others? How long would they allow themselves to decide what to do? How would they pray about it?" In this way, our integrity lives on.

Take time to pray and ask God to make you into a person of integrity - a truth teller, a promise keeper, a humble restorer; to help you pass on a legacy of stability to your children and others who are influenced by you.

Take time to reflect on these questions:

1. Did you inherit a legacy of stability? Whether yes or no, how did you observe the way troubled times were handled?
2. Which of the three behaviors of integrity do you feel you are the strongest in? Which of the three do you most need to improve?
3. What kind of legacy do you want to pass on?

Consider these passages for further study on Integrity:

Psalm 25:21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
    because my hope, Lord,^[a] is in you.

Proverbs 20:7 The righteous lead blameless lives;
    blessed are their children after them.

Titus 2:6-8 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Personally, I tend to think of this subject often as it sets the tone of my priorities. Leaving a legacy is high ranking on my priority in how I think about what I do in my life. How important is it to you?

Great thoughts of Gary Chapman in setting the tone on how we look at the choices we need to make in our lives.