Lasting Integrity

Our integrity is revealed when we’re faced with a decision to do what we know is right, even if it conflicts with what we want. We are called to act according to God’s will instead of our own.

It was a beautiful spring day in 1980 in northwestern New York State, a great day for a lacrosse game. The Watertown Cyclones, a powerhouse team, was visiting their cross-town rivals, the General Brown Lions. Though underdogs, the Lions were a gritty blue-collar team, and they had home field advantage. If all their starters played at 100 percent, they had a chance to upset the Cyclones. It was exciting!

Sadly, the Lions’ hopes crashed before the game even started. Three of their starters were caught smoking pot in the parking lot before the game. The coach was near tears with anger and hurt, yet he did not hesitate. No matter how much he wanted to beat the Cyclones, he needed to do the right thing and immediately kicked them off the team. The players begged their coach to let them play, but he was a man of integrity, and he stood his ground.

This coach’s integrity cost him in the short term. The Lions were soundly defeated and people questioned his “harsh” discipline. He took a lot of heat, but in the long run he helped shape one of those punk kids into a responsible
Christian man—me. I never got that varsity letter twenty-five years ago, but I gained something much more valuable—a lesson in integrity. How about you?