The Fallout from Missing Integrity

Integrity still matters a great deal, even in a culture that seems to be saying it does not.

Yesterday the news stations and internet sites (ESPN, CNN) all rushed to report the news of the firing of Jim Tressel, the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I know not all of you are football fans, or sports fans for that matter, but this was a story that made mainstream news because of the gravity of it. Jim Tressel has been one of college football's most winning coaches in his time at OSU. He has dominated his conference and won a National Championship. The reason for Tressel's resignation/firing was because of his lying to his university and NCAA investigators about his knowledge of recent scandals and infractions involving his players. His players had been violating NCAA rules by selling their memorabilia from games and awards. The OSU players were also receiving illegal benefits from businesses and school donors. Tressel was aware of all of this, and had been for some time, but lied about it. He lied to his athletic director, the school president, and NCAA investigators. For months now the facts have been surfacing and Tressel's reputation has been declining. Yesterday it all came to an end and Tressel resigned. The great run of this coach over, his legacy tarnished.

Rather than getting into the details and facts of NCAA rules and the rights of players to collect benefits for their services, I want to ask a simple questions: what did Tressel's lack of integrity cost him?

We know for a fact that his lack of integrity cost him his job. We know for a fact that his lack of integrity cost him a lot of money. These things are evident. But here is a question for you:

What did Tressel's lack of integrity cost him as a father? grandfather? husband? son? role-model? friend?

The fallout from missing integrity goes far beyond what ESPN, CNN, and others will ever report. Eventually the story will die down, but there is still fallout that will take place. Rather than using these opportunities to tear down people, coaches, athletics, or things like these, we should use these opportunities to evaluate our own lives. We may not operate under the bright lights that Tressel lived under, but integrity is no less important.

If you are a father or mother, husband or wife, your integrity matters a great deal because there are people watching and learning from you. If you are a Christian, integrity matters a great deal, because non-believers look at your life and measure it to your words.

I am challenged by the Jim Tressel story to not overlook what takes place when nobody is looking. These moments in secret will eventually be made public. Our integrity is about making sure that what people see on the outside is true of what is going on inside. Our integrity is about making sure that what is seen in public matches what takes place in private. We must be people of integrity.

Why do you believe integrity is so important? What are the biggest struggles you have as a Christian with integrity?

Living Through Gospel-Shaded Glasses

The gospel message is the foundation of the Christian faith. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message that we know the world needs to hear. We know it is a message that served as the catalyst for our conversion and faith. We know the gospel is something that churches, and those who are a part of them, should proclaim with vigor.

With the gospel message serving such a place of importance and primacy in our faith, we must become skilled in it understanding it, seeing it, and explaining it. 

One of the ways that we can begin to grow in our gospel understanding is to live our lives through gospel-shaded glasses. What does that mean? It means that we begin to view all of life and the day-to-day events of our lives through the context of the gospel message. This will help us to see that the gospel message is always being told through the events and people that we encounter on a daily basis.

Let me give some examples of this. Yesterday my family and I flew to Orlando for a week vacation at Disney. We have been looking forward to this trip for months. There are several things just on a trip here that remind me that the gospel is always being proclaimed. First, the complete beauty and awe-inspiring view from thousands of feet above the ground is amazing. Even though flying is not new to me, I never cease to be captivated. The skies were breath-taking and the little white clouds hovered below us like cotton balls. It is in those moments that I am reminded that there is a majestic God whose beauty surpasses even what my eyes behold. I am struck by the fact that this beauty comes from the hand of the Master Artist who designed all the landscapes that I see below. Even in flying to Disney I am reminded that there is a God who is radiant and lovely. 

Second, the rebelliousness of my daughter. For the sake of being a loving father to my little baby girl, I am going to refrain from giving every example of her struggles yesterday. She was not able to get a nap after church because we went straight to the airport. She was incredibly tired and irritable. She did not enjoy taking off, riding in, or landing in the plane. If you're keeping up, that is the whole flight. She cried, even screamed a couple of times. She rolled around the floor and almost got into the next set of seats because she crawled away from us. She finally fell asleep in the rent-a-car in Orlando. I love my sweet girl, but I was reminded of the rebellious nature of man. My daughter may have been tired, but she did not listen and she was not interested in listening. I wish I could use being tired as an excuse for my own rebellious behavior on a daily basis, but I cannot. It was a snapshot of this reality of sin in our lives.

Lastly, once we got to the hotel and got settled, we finally got some peace. It had been a long day, one that caused us to question our method of travel choices. I was reminded that true and lasting peace only comes through Jesus Christ. Showers and beds may give some relaxation, but only Christ gives rest to the weary soul. He is the one we are to turn to in our weariness and unrest. 

Every day offers moments where the gospel is being told. It is learning to see these moments that will help us to become well-versed in the gospel. It is learning to see these moments that will help us to grow in our faith. We must live our lives through gospel-shaded glasses. 

What kind of moments have you had lately that tell the story of the gospel? What kind of reminders can you give yourself for living with this view? What kind of benefits do you think can come from viewing the world through the lenses?

BLOG Relaunch

I am excited to be relaunching the BLOG. The purpose of this BLOG is to be a resource for those seeking to live their lives for the glory of God. With the church growing at the rate that it is, it is impossible to individually pastor everyone; however, with tools like this one, it allows for me to reach out to a lot more people than I could face-to-face on a daily basis. Each day of the week we will look at different aspects of the Christian life. We will look at topics such as:

* The Gospel and its Implications

* World Events/Cultural Issues

* Spiritual Disciplines

* Theology

* Marriage/Relationships

* Book Reviews

* Church Stuff

The BLOG purpose will be to offer practical thoughts for how to live our lives for the glory of God in the midst of a world that does not. The old catechism offers the question: "What is the chief end of man?" The answer is: "the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever." That is our aim and goal. This BLOG, by God's grace, will serve as a help for doing that in the days ahead.

I pray that this would be a place that you would visit daily and that it truly serves as a help for you on your journey.

*Are there things that would be helpful for you that you would like to read about on the BLOG? Leave your ideas in the comments.