Purity requires honesty, and honesty requires a willing heart. There has to be a desire to see things as they really are. Walking with integrity requires introspection, but it must be done through the eyes of the Holy Spirit. We need to look internally by seeing things from God’s perspective. Human perspective is flawed; filled with various prejudices and blind spots. We have to be willing to allow God to show us what we need to see, and have a willingness to change.
There are times when we need changes of environment and/or associations in order to help us work on our character. It could be as simple as getting away to a quiet place where there are no distractions. A place where a person can have unhindered communion with the Lord, and where one is more apt to gain clarity that might not otherwise be obtained in the existing circumstances. It can range from getting alone in the bedroom, to a walk in the woods; from going on a retreat, to taking a vacation; and of course it could be as extreme as moving to a whole new location, and so on. Having said that, it must also be understood that if one is not being honest about wanting change, one can change environments as often as he changes clothes – there will be no real lasting change. We cannot run away; we have to face things head-on.
Before external changes can be made, internal changes must first take place. For example, if a change is needed in the way one deals with people or circumstances (external), there will have to be a change that has taken place on the inside first. There is a big difference between a root and fruit. As an analogy, I can pluck off all the apples of an apple tree, and that tree will still grow more apples as long as the root is still alive. If I sever the root from the tree, it will die and produce no more fruit. Behavior (good or bad) is like the apple: just as the apple is plucked off the tree and a new one grows in its place, the same behavior will return until the root is dealt with. For example: Jerry finds himself getting angry at Fred every time he sees him, even though Fred has never done anything wrong to warrant the anger. Jerry has something on the inside that needs to be exposed and uprooted. In this case, Fred reminds Jerry of someone toward whom he is harboring un-forgiveness. Once Jerry forgives the individual and healing takes place, the anger will disappear.
Integrity requires honest intention, based upon a quality decision to walk uprightly in the eyes of the Lord. Nevertheless, people find change difficult because honest introspection can be hard to handle. It is difficult to change what has been considered normal for a long time. As brutal as it may be at times, we need to be willing to open our eyes to see the blind spots that keep us from moving forward. Face it; generally, no one wants to admit that he may not “have it together,” and most people are not overly fond of getting out of their comfort zones. However, integrity requires an honest approach. If a person has jealousy or envy lurking inside, that person must be willing to admit it to his self, and confess it to God before it can be uprooted. It is far better to confess something, than to pretend that it does not exist. There is victory in confession, but there is bondage in suppression. A number of things can affect our walk with the Lord. They include such things as: deep wounds, fear, un-forgiveness, bitterness, and rejection issues, just to name a few. As a word of caution, do not go looking to find something wrong; rather, ask the Lord to show you if there is something that needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, instead of having a blind spot, you might wind up with the illusion there is something amiss, when there is not.
If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free (John 8:31-31, KJV).
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