Most of our lives are filled with the mundane acts of living, and very seldom will we have the kind of life-changing moment that makes us radically change our resolve to live a better life. But it is in these everyday acts of our ordinary lives that God desires integrity in our thoughts and actions. Knowing how to live with a steady, unwavering commitment to what is right—especially when the world says we are wrong—is the core of what it means to live a life of integrity. In this post, Boyd Bailey explains how to be intentional and deliberate about living with integrity and faith.

"Steadily Plod" by Boyd Bailey

"Steady plodding brings prosperity; hasty speculation brings poverty" (Proverbs 21:5, Living Bible).

Some days I feel like I merely react to what life demands of me. Home responsibilities, work and relational needs all crave my attention without any intentionality on my part. However, I am learning to refocus and be intentional about foundational life disciplines. Prayer, Bible study, financial stewardship, diet/exercise and hospitality all require pre-planning. When I just react to life I feel unfulfilled, but when I prayerfully execute eternal goals I’m content. Daily intentionality requires faith to do the most important and wait for the urgent to work itself out. 

Steady plodding is a picture of unexciting faithfulness. Steady is an unwavering commitment to what’s right, especially when the world says we are wrong. Like grace under fire it stays the course in patient perseverance. A steady soul enjoys the little wins along the way and stays in love with the Way (Jesus). Plodding may seem slow, but gets the best results. A plodder remains in the process of wise decision making and waiting. We are intentional in our intimacy with God. 

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night” (Nehemiah 1:4-6).

Intentionality is critical for the wise management of money. Who needs my daily generosity  to see the love of the Lord? When aggressive giving is our primary motivation, God trusts us to steward more of His resources. He wants to bless people who want to bless people. Thus, when we receive a dollar we give first, save second and spend third. This simple process protects us from selfish spending. Daily generosity is the antidote to spending all on ourselves. Haste does make waste, but steady makes us ready to receive the Lord’s best. Stay steady.

Most of all, make it a habit to start the day with your Savior. Just as earthly relationships require regular care and feeding, so goes our faith in Jesus. If we only cry out to Christ in a crisis, we really don’t get to know the one who is the Lover of our soul. Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before when we are intentional in our communion with Him. Our spiritual portfolio compounds over time, as we dollar cost average these disciplines into our soul: prayer, worship, Bible study and community with other Christians. Intentionality with God grows our love and obedience to God.

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8).

Read
Proverbs 21:5

Pray
Heavenly Father, grow my faith and patience so I am a steady plodder and not a hasty spectator.

Reflect
Does my day-to-day life reflect what I really believe?

Respond
Make a plan to maintain a life of steadily committing to and doing what is right—no matter how hard it might be.

Steadily plodding, when you are doing it with the intention of living a life of integrity, will help you stay on course and reach your full potential in Christ. As you live your day-to-day life, it might help if you check in with yourself once or twice a year to see how you are guarding your integrity. The next post will take a look at ten ways you can examine your life to make sure you are living a life that is full of integrity and pleasing to the Lord.