In a church we were visiting yesterday, the pastor preached a message on integrity using David (from 1 & 2 Samuel) as both a positive and negative example. Following the message, he shared that the youth pastor there had just resigned from his position, left his wife and kids, and was living with a young woman in a hotel in another city. What?! It sounds shocking to us, or it should. Tragically, it is not as uncommon as it should be. How does this happen? I spent time thinking about how to talk about this appropriately and seize a teachable moment with my kids, particularly my teenage boys.

This also follows on the tail of an article Holly and I came across a couple days ago about a ministry that is educating parents about moral challenges young people (like our kids) face today, particularly through various media avenues. The article said that our kids will be exposed to pornography and other inappropriate media, and so the issue is how to handle that with them. As much as I wish I could insulate my children, helping them develop their “moral muscles” so they can resist the temptation and turn to the Lord will be much better.

Please don’t hear me to be saying that I have things all figured out, or always act with complete integrity. I’m on a journey just like we all are. However, God’s Word is clear, as the pastor shared yesterday, that “the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He watches all his paths.” (Prov.5:21) There is no hiding anything from God. The pastor said that our integrity is tested when we are prosperous (when things seem to be going well with us and we “relax” our guard), when we are private (what we are when we are alone is the measure of our character), and when we are forced to persevere (when we get worn down with temptations we can yield in our integrity). These are times when we must “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Eph.6:10) by putting on the armor of God, we must flee youthful lusts (2 Tim.2:22), and we must be filled with the Spirit instead of the world (Gal.5:16-26).

We certainly can’t do this by ourselves. I’m hoping our kids always feel encouraged and safe to come and talk to us as their parents. This is the healthiest place to address these issues. Likewise, each one of us needs a team standing with us as we fight the good fight of our faith. May we understand our weaknesses (1 Cor.15:10), and may the grace of God guide us to choose wisely every little step to be men and women of integrity.

Pressing on in the Lord’s workshop. Eric