JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye On Integrity is based on Second Corinthians 10:5b.

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Our thought life can have a tremendous impact on the desires of our heart. Author Jerry Bridges has said that self-control of our thoughts means entertaining in our minds only those thoughts that are acceptable to God. We might not always have control of an initial thought that comes to our mind. For example, someone might say something that affects what we think. But then the question becomes, “What will we do with those thoughts? Will we dismiss them or entertain them?”

Philippians 4:8 gives us a focus point for our thought life: “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”

Walking with a thought life in obedience to Christ is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Haggai.

He was a prophet of God in the Old Testament who encouraged the Jews to rebuild the temple.

His words were inspired by God and are recorded in the book of Haggai. “Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored.”

Haggai assured the people that God was with them. The Bible says that “the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.”

Ezra 6:14 says that the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet….They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel.

The faithfulness of Haggai to encourage the Jews to complete the building of the temple inspires us to be a voice of encouragement to build God’s church and to live a life of Integrity.

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Matthew 5:9.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

One of the purposes of those who follow Jesus is to be agents of reconciliation. Second Corinthians 5:19 tells us that God has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We have good news to share with the world that God’s forgiveness is available through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no greater way to be a peacemaker than to be an influence for the Gospel, where people come into relationship with God and experience His peace.

Another way to be a peacemaker is to have a mediating role between two conflicting parties. This takes wisdom and patience to rebuild relationships that have been strained by conflict.

God’s peacemakers in the world will be called God’s children in His kingdom.

Walking as a peacemaker is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on John 14:15.

Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

Where love is at the heart of our motivation, keeping God’s commands becomes a delight rather than a duty, because in such a case, our desire is to please God with our actions.

In verse 21, we see that we gain greater understanding of who Jesus is as we follow Him. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Our Creator knows how we are wired. He knows how His blessings can benefit our lives, and He knows how our sin can destroy us. His commands guide us in the path of freedom.

Walking in obedience to God’s Word is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In Galatians 2:20, Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Paul’s allegiance was to Christ. He was all in for the Gospel. He had been awakened to the eternal hope that is found in following Jesus. Paul was learning to die to selfish gain and turning his attention to the treasures of God’s Kingdom. Although he had inflicted persecution on the early believers before he came to Christ, he was willing to suffer for the Gospel after he was converted to Christ. Any sacrifice that he would make for Jesus would be overshadowed by the glory that would follow. His heart was responsive to the love of Jesus and was filled with faith.

The faithfulness of Paul to die to selfishness and live for Jesus inspires us to trust in Jesus to save us, to guide us, and help us to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Psalm 119, verses 36 and 37.

“Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”

In the Bible, a statute is a law or decree made by God. The writer of Psalm 119 understood that if his heart was focused on obeying God’s Word, he would not be motivated by selfish gain.

Walking in the ways of God’s statutes will not feel confining to us if love for God is at the heart of our motivation. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Those commands will direct us on a path of Biblical integrity. They will lead us to a place of freedom where our relationships with God and with people will have opportunity to thrive. Prayer for a willing heart is a good starting place for following God’s statutes.

Walking in the statutes of God is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – In Philippians 1:21, Paul made this statement, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Paul preferred to depart from this world and be with Jesus, but he also understood that while he was alive, there was a purpose for him. Each day of life on this earth is an opportunity for fruitful labor. Recognizing that opportunity, Paul would use his time on the earth to build up the church with his ministry until Jesus called him home.

The faithfulness of Paul to stay true to his calling inspires us to find our purpose in Christ and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Micaiah.

He was a prophet of God who was more interested in saying what was true than what was popular.

In Second Chronicles 18, King Ahab had considered going to war, and consulted four hundred men about the decision. They all said the same thing, “Attack and be victorious.” But when Micaiah was summoned for counsel, he was pressured to let his word agree with theirs and to speak favorably. He replied by saying to the messenger, “As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what my God says.”

This was the mindset that led him to say to King Ahab, “The LORD has decreed disaster for you.” He was slapped in his face for saying that, but his words proved to be true, because he heard from God, understood what God was doing, and spoke for God.

The faithfulness of Micaiah to be strong and courageous for God inspires us to be a bold witness for Jesus and to live a life of Integrity.

John  Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Eye on Integrity is based on Proverbs 20, verse 7.

The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.

Noah and Job were men in the Bible described as blameless. Noah walked faithfully with God. Job feared God and shunned evil.

A blameless person is not a perfect person. We have all disobeyed God at some point in our lives. But there are Scriptures that can help us better understand what it means to lead a blameless life.

Psalm 15:2 describes the way of blamelessness as doing what is righteous, and speaking the truth from our heart.

In Psalm 19, David prayed that God would keep him from willful sins, so that they don’t rule over him. Then, he would be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

Walking the way of a blameless life is a virtue to embrace for our lives in the Year of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Person of Integrity from the Bible is Matthias.

In Acts 2:26, he was chosen to replace Judas as one of the Apostles of the early church. We don’t really see references in the Bible as to how he served, but we do know that he fit the criteria to replace Judas.

The believers in the early church were looking for someone who had been with them the whole time, from the time of Jesus’ ministry until His ascension. Matthias fit this description. He was also a witness of the resurrection of Jesus. Matthias knew Jesus, and walked with Him throughout His earthly ministry. Through prayer and a process called the “the casting of lots”, Matthias was chosen as the replacement for Judas.

The faithfulness of Matthias to replace the leadership of Judas inspires us to serve God in the church with a willing heart and to live a life of Integrity.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com