Integrity.

For most of us, it's just the lame word they use in chapel to pressure us into not cheating, but I think it's much more than that. Integrity is at the very essence of being a Christian in today's world. It's something that I've felt very passionate about for a while now. I just never really associated with the word, but after chapel today, I realize that's exactly what it is...Integrity. I felt called to a career in Christian media several years ago, but kind of put it aside thinking that I would never have a chance to do something like that, or that if I tried the world would have none of it. This still may be the case, but I've decided that it's better to fall on your face for God than to sit back and not do anything at all. The media is something that lots of people (especially Christians and churches) see as a worldly evil. A necessary evil. We have to stay informed about the world around us, but the only way to do that is through a corrupt conglomeration of media sources. This is far from the case. The media is not evil. The media is merely a tool for evil to be spread, which means that at the very same time it is also a tool for good to be spread. The media is in need of Christians (strong Christians) to take an executive stand within it. This doesn't mean that we need a bunch of Jesus pushers on TV or writing for newspapers and magazines. What we need is a group of Christians with "Integrity" in the media. We need producers that are going to consider people before they consider profit. We need writers that have a positive outlook on life. We need actors and anchors that let the issue of good and evil influence their job decision. We need people that do their jobs to the best of their ability not because they are looking for a pay raise or because the boss is looking over their shoulder, but because it's the right thing to do. We need people to do what's right simply because they want to...and we need this in all career areas, but especially in the mass media which impacts over 60% of every persons waking hours each and every day. As I sit here writing on my blog, instead of writing my Bible paper that is due tomorrow morning, I ask myself if I'm showing integrity right now. Wouldn't the right thing to do be working on my school work instead of posting on some pointless internet blog that maybe 5 people will read? That's the tricky part. My answer is No! Yours might be yes. Having integrity and deciding what is right starts with making your own decisions by what is right. When we live our lives on what we've heard or what we've been taught, we live purely on chance. Who is to say that your teacher didn't give you false information. We cannot trust the ruler of right and wrong that we've been handed solely because it looks good. We must carve our own slowly, but accurately, putting all the notches where they belong. Then we can measure with complete confidence. Then we can have true integrity. The Bible can be our only source of absolute truth, and we must depend on it with our lives. Only then can we become people of integrity. Only then can we make a difference for our Lord and Savior. Only then can we fulfill the plans God has for our lives. I challenge myself today to be a person of integrity, and I challenge you to join me in that search. May you have a day filled with hope and joy for the future.
Yearn for your Lord.


And for Lauren..."Love Never Fails" comes from the scripture 1 Corinthians 13:8 and "laurney_liz" is a combination of what my mom called me (laurney) and my middle name (elizabeth)