You Must Set Rules
Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 7:42PM
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price
You have to govern your life in such a way that you cannot act without integrity, even when you might want to. You do this by setting rules for yourself and following them without exception.
These rules have to be based on a standard you ascribe to in life that does not change, regardless of the circumstances or consequences. Your standard has to be something higher than the circumstances, because circumstances come all the time.
These rules have to be made known to the appropriate parties involved. One of the three components of acting with integrity is to let people know where you stand. Likewise, you have to let your loved ones and the people you work with know where you stand in terms of the standard and rules you have set for yourself since they are likely to be the ones helping you to follow or carry out these rules. They will also hold you accountable, which will help you, stay on track.
These rules have to be set before circumstances arise so that you are prepared to deal with them. If you wait until you are in the midst of a challenge to decide how you are going to handle it, you are likely to come up with all sorts of ways to compromise.
Also, never leave room for second-guessing or thinking twice about the rules you have made. Stick to them. Be true to the standard you have set for yourself.
For example, part of my standard is not to be greedy for gain. I base this on the character traits listed in 1 Timothy, which is part of my standard. The rule I have set to be sure I stick to the standard of integrity that I see given in the Bible is that I always play by the rules. Even if no one else does, I will. It does not matter; I refuse to gain dishonestly by circumventing the rules, because to me this is being greedy for gain.
Now, as a minister, I am considered self-employed by the federal government of the United States. So I am responsible for paying my own taxes, just like the person who owns his own business. Throughout the year, I get a lot of money handed directly to me because people appreciate the gift that God has placed in me and how that gift has affected their lives in a positive way. Of course, it is not me; it is the Lord that they appreciate. But since they cannot physically give anything to Jesus and say, "Lord, thank You," they give it to His servant or those who represent Him.
I am at the point now where this is almost a constant thing. People will walk up, shake hands with me, and leave a hundred dollars in my hand. Of course, I do not know what it is at that moment. I just shake hands, realize they have given me a piece of paper (it could be a note or it could be money), and I put it in my pocket. I never look at it right there. I say, "Thank you." And go about my business until I am home.
No one knows what the person has given me except that person, me, God and the devil. The IRS does not know. Usually there is no record because it is a cash transaction. So, there is no paper trail, no canceled check. Over the course of a year, this can add up to a lot of money. I could choose not to report this money, so that I would not have to pay taxes on it. This would save me a considerable amount since I am in a tax bracket where I have to give the government 53 percent of my earnings.
But I have a little book that I keep, like a mini-pocket planner, in which I write down every single dollar I receive. I make a record of it. I am not required to do this as such. Yet, I do. So there is now a record and this enables me to keep close track of how much money I receive so that I can be sure to pay the appropriate taxes on it. This may seem a little extreme, but I do not go to bed at night wondering if or when the Internal Revenue Service is going to come knocking on my door.
Because I have set and followed rules for such a long time, I also benefit from having a sensitive conscience. This is good in that I know I would end up telling on myself if I did something wrong because I would have no peace. No minute of pleasure or any dishonest gain is worth giving up the ability to sleep at night. And this alone protects me form giving in to a lot of temptations.
Consequently, there is no way I could go to bed at night next to my wife after I had been intimate with another woman. I just could not--not because I am incapable of it, but because my conscience would not allow it. This kind of sensitivity has kept me from ruining my marriage, and this has been the ultimate payoff for me for living a lifestyle of integrity.
This devotional was excerpted from Dr. Price's book, "Integrity: The Guarantee for Success." You may call us at (800) 927-3436 or visit our website: www.faithdome.org for a complete list of his products.
Dr. Frederick K.C. Price is the founder and pastor of Crenshaw Christian Center West in Los Angeles and CCC East in Manhattan. To obtain more information about his ministry, please call (800) 927-3436 or visit www.faithdome.org. Click here to browse and purchase MP3 sermons by Dr. Frederick K.C. Price!
