Integrity I (A Saint upholds rules and regulations with impartiality)

“It’s a stupid rule,” I heard someone said yesterday.

It was recess and it looked sunny outside.

Normally the field is open for everyone to play in it.

But not yesterday.

Do you know why?

Yes, because the lightning alert was flashing.

And why can’t we go out and play when the lightning alert is flashing?

Because you could get struck by lightning.

Even though it looks sunny and feels stupid.

And you may remember that it rained heavily yesterday afternoon, after school dismissal.

Rules and regulations are important in our lives.

Even though sometimes they seems stupid and unnecessary.

Without rules about what you can and cannot do in sports and in your CCA,

everyone can score a goal or call foul on others easily,

because there are no clear boundaries to tell you what you can or cannot do.

And without rules for behaviour in the classroom,

imagine how much more difficult it will be for the teacher to teach you something important,

because people would randomly decide to do things they like without considering the feelings of others.

But even though rules and regulations are important,

not everyone follows them.

And what is worse is that some people think that they are so special that the rules do not apply to them.

In fact the Bible says in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

As we think about how difficult it is to practise the value of integrity,

let us not give us thinking it is impossible.

For in the next verse in Romans 3:24–25 the Bible tells us that although we all have sinned, we are also

“justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.”

So this is our big idea:

We can practise integrity through faith in Jesus.

The Bible tells us that God is a righteous God.

That means that he is always right.

And his rules are always fair.

Even though they might not seem fair to us.

That’s because God is impartial.

That means he doesn’t show that he likes a person more than another person.

God showed us what it means to practise the value of integrity through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

Because God has to uphold his rules by punishing those who have sinned against him.

God has to be impartial because bad choices lead to bad consequences.

But God chose to put Jesus to die on the cross,

so that the bad consequences of what we have done wrong can be put on Jesus,

and Jesus was punished by God, instead of us having to die for our suns.

As I believe and trust in what Jesus has done for me by dying on the cross,

and coming back to life on the third day,

God forgives me and makes me right and whole.

By the way, that’s what integrity means - to be whole.

How can I practise the value of integrity,

All you need to do is ask - What Will Jesus Do?

For example, what will Jesus do in this situation where I see someone’s wallet in the school field?

Should I hide in the toilet, keep the money and ezlink card in my pocket, and throw away the wallet, thinking that no one sees?

Or should I fear God and practise the value of integrity?

Because God sees and God knows.

But Jesus has died for even you on the cross,

God is willing to forgive you.

But you must be willing to first come forward and ask for forgiveness.

You may be punished for what you’ve done.

But after all that, you are made whole with integrity once again.

To conclude, rules and regulations are there not to harm us,

But to tell us what is right and wrong,

and to make sure that everything runs well.

God sees and knows whether we are doing right or wrong,

even if when think that nobody is watching.

So when someone tells you that you are breaking the rules,

Don’t get angry and shout at that person for being a busybody.

But thank the person for reminding you to practise the value of integrity.

And commit to do better, just as God wants us to do better.

By asking What Will Jesus Do to guide our thoughts, our words, and our actions.