So what does it mean to be a man or woman of integrity? The meaning of integrity comes from the Latin adjective ‘integer’, which means “soundness or wholeness.” This translates to husbands and wives being honest and having strong godly principles. When integrity is present in your marriage, there is an alignment between your relationship with God and actions towards your spouse. Here are some simple habits that can help you maintain integrity in your marriage:
1. Be Trustworthy. 2 Corinthians 4:2 says that “we refuse to wear masks and play games. We don’t maneuver and manipulate behind the scenes. And we don’t twist God’s Word to suit ourselves. Rather, we keep everything we do and say out in the open.” In marriage, integrity proves your motives and opens the door to cultivating trust. Being authentic and trustworthy is the key ingredient to building love and respect between you and your spouse. Building integrity is a plus because it creates a determination for you and spouse to stick to godly standards, even when it’s hard or not a popular stance.
2. Live Your Values. What are your core values? Do your motivating factors in your marriage match God’s principles? Are you the same person in private as you are in public? Proverbs 11:3 says that “the integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” These are questions to consider because your values affect your marriage. What we do in private reflects our heart’s condition. Holding yourself accountable, developing sound values, and communicating those values will speak volumes of your integrity in your marriage. Remember, living out your godly values is key to walking the talk of integrity.
3. Protect Your Marriage. Integrity protects the health of your marriage, where your spouse gains confidence in the consistency of your integrity and behavior. However, when the integrity of your marriage is compromised, it can create a threat to the success of your marriage that damages the climate of trust in your marriage. Husbands and wives protect their marriage by maintaining a willingness to share their deepest feelings, desires, concerns, and hurts.
God is glorified and delighted as we pursue integrity. The value of maintaining integrity in your marriage is important because it is the glue that holds you and your spouse together. Using these simple habits in tandem with continued development of godly character, will help you maximize integrity for marital growth.
You may also like
