If you are increasing in spiritual maturity you are going to have an increasingly honest understanding of yourself. 

Yes, you will grow in confidence that you are a child of God. But at the same time you will become increasingly aware of your own sin. This is one of the things that makes you more humble. As we learn about Jesus and try to walk in his footsteps, we become more and more aware of what we still need to learn and how often we swerve off course!

Consider integrity. It is living wholeheartedly for God no matter the situation. That’s clearly a good idea, but it’s a hard way to live. We pray for God’s will—and then do otherwise. We want to be loving—and then neglect the practical needs of others. We give lip service to holiness—and then blend in with the unbelieving world. You get the picture.

That’s why you may need the reminder that integrity is a trajectory.

Consider David. He was far from perfect. In Psalm 25 he didn’t get into the details but he referred to being a sinner (verse 8), to previous sins (verses 7, 11 and 18), and to the guilt he experienced (verse 11). Was he referring to committing adultery or facilitating the murder of Uriah? It’s hard to be sure.

Either way, David still had a goal: integrity. Verse 21 captures his prayer: “May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.”

Past failure doesn’t disqualify you from future growth. I recently saw an Instagram post by singer Toby Mack. “Don’t judge me by my past. I don’t live there anymore.” I love it. Each day we are new in Christ!

Don’t confuse slow progress with no progress. If you are in Christ, God’s Spirit is working in and through you one day at a time. We move forward in Jesus’ footsteps. Do we stumble? Yes. Do we sometimes swerve into the ditch? Yes. But our gracious Lord grabs us by the hand and leads us on.

“May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD, is in you.”

Integrity is a trajectory.

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Notes and extra content:

–“May integrity and uprightness protect you.” Sermon. July 7, 2024. Click here.

–Coming soon on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’: 10 Un-Popular Things Jesus Said. Stay tuned.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.