Job 31:1-40 (excerpts)
I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a virgin. If I have walked with falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit – let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless – if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes or if my hands have been defiled, then may others eat what I have sown, and may my crops be uprooted. If my heart has been enticed by a woman, then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. If I have denied justice to any of my servants, what will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account?
If I have denied the desires of the poor or let the eyes of the widow grow weary, if I have kept my bread to myself, not sharing it with the fatherless, if I have seen anyone perishing for lack of clothing, or the needy without garments, if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court, then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint.
If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, ‘You are my security,’ if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high. If I have rejoiced at my enemies’ misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to them - I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against their life - if I have concealed my sin as people do, by hiding my guilt in my heart because I so feared the crowd and so dreaded the contempt of the clans that I kept silent and would not go outside - I sign now my defense – let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.
Job endured what has to be just about the worst experience in human history. He lost everything important to him – his wife, kids, servants, home, livestock, health, everything – except his God.
At the very darkest moment, he’s sitting on a rock scraping his sores with a piece of broken pottery. His wife (who didn’t die but did wander away from God) is right there giving him great advice… ”Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” But, in everything that happened, Job refused to sin. He refused to turn his back on God. He refused to feel sorry for him. He refused to get angry at God for what had happened.
Toward the end of the ordeal, right before God shows up in a mighty storm, Job takes time to remind himself and his friends that he lives a life of integrity. He lives with righteousness in his sights. Godliness is his goal. He is committed to not sinning with his eyes, his words, his thoughts or his actions.
If your life is anything like mine, you have days where it just seems everyone is against you. There are days when it seems like everything is going wrong. And those few things that are going right just don’t seem quite as nice and neat as they did before. Plans get muddied up and processes get confused. Feelings get hurt and tempers flare. Some people drop the ball and others accuse you of things that aren’t true. Followers and volunteers lose focus and begin to fight and argue. You’ve probably never experienced a day quite like Job’s but you have experienced a day where you regret rolling out of bed. You have gone to bed at night completely freaked out about what the next day will bring. To be completely honest, you’ve led projects while feeling unworthy and unprepared.
So, when that day comes – and it will – what do you do? When you have the perfect opportunity to sit around feeling sorry for yourself, what do you do? When your friends expect you to quit and retreat, do you? When doing the right thing looks so hard and sin looks so, well, inviting and distracting, what do you decide?
Job chose godliness. He chose integrity. He picked purity. And he spent intentional time reminding himself and his friends of just what his choice was.
I wonder if part of the reason we find it so stinkin’ hard to choose integrity over sin is that we forget what’s most important.
Leading a great ministry or playing a great game or looking like a great person isn’t the most important thing in life. Living a life that ends in the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” is a much worthier focus.
So, when life deals you a cruddy hand and it just seems like everyone’s out to get you and everything is rotten around you, try this: Skip depression and anger and embrace joy and integrity. It’ll make a world of difference.
And I believe God will bless your choice – your integrity – just like he blessed Job’s. (check out Job 42:10-17… it’ll blow your mind)
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