Integrity Gap

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”  — Matthew 23:27.

Are you the same person in public as in private?  What is the margin between your public posture and your private actions?  What is your integrity gap?

“Margin” is a word that we all covet in business.  We want financial margins; we want a margin of time in our lives, so we are able to do the things that are important to us.  Without margins, our business and life are not sustainable.  However, when it comes to the issue of character, margins must be avoided.  The more margins we have in our character, the wider our integrity gap will be.  An integrity gap is the margin between who we are publicly and who we are privately.  It is the difference between our private actions and our public pronouncements.

The scribes and Pharisees were supposed to be the teachers of the law, the ones to set an example for others as to how to follow God and obey His commands. But, according to Jesus, they had a large margin between who they professed to be publicly and who they really were privately.  They had an integrity gap.  As a result, Christ accused them of being hypocrites:

“For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.”—  Matthew 23:25

“For you… appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” — Matthew 23:27

What is your integrity gap?  Are you a hypocrite? As Biblical Entrepreneurs, we must be very cautious, because we are held to a higher standard as Christ’s ambassadors in the marketplace.  We must not take that commitment lightly. Instead, we should determine to reflect a lifestyle of transparency and integrity to the best of our ability.  This requires us to continuously monitor our gap and work on closing it.

How can you evaluate your gap?

• Evaluate your thoughts and determine if they match who you project to be publicly
• Evaluate your private words and determine if they match who you project to be publicly
• Evaluate your private activities and actions and determine if they match who you project to be publicly
• Evaluate your public commitments and determine your inner commitment to them

A quick way to gauge your gap is to ask yourself, “If my private thoughts, words and actions were on a reality show, would people still think of me as they think of me today?”  If Jesus was to spend a week with you, would He be pleased?  As you ask these questions, remember you are in a reality show that airs in heaven every day with angels and God Himself watching. Furthermore, remember that Jesus is with you every day, every hour, minute and second.

Once you determine your gap, you must make a decision to close it.  Closing the gap is not easy, but it is always possible.  It requires that you commit to adopting zero tolerance for any margin between your public and private lives.  It also requires tapping into the grace of God.  The reality is none of us can ever be gap free without the help of Christ.  Jesus is the gap closer.  Recognize that on your own you cannot close the gap, but choose to seek Christ’s grace and guidance, allowing Him to close the gap for you.

Like the Apostle Paul, I thank God for Jesus, through whom God has given me the grace to walk in righteousness and holiness in spite of my limitations.

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?  I thank God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” — Romans 7:24-25.

Evaluate your integrity gap and make a commitment to close the margins through the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

My prayer for you today is that you would align your public and private actions, closing any integrity gaps in your life and walking in total righteousness by the grace of God.