A Life of Integrity诚实的生活
Dexu Xia
The integrity of the upright guides them. Proverbs 11:3
Abel Mutai, a Kenyan runner competing in a grueling international cross-country race, was mere yards from victory—his lead secure. Confused by the course’s signage and thinking he’d already crossed the finish line, however, Mutai stopped short. The Spanish runner in second place, Ivan Fernandez Anaya, saw Mutai’s mistake. Rather than take advantage and bolt past for the win, however, he caught up to Mutai, put out his arm and guided Mutai forward to a gold-medal win. When reporters asked Anaya why he purposefully lost the race, he insisted that Mutai deserved the win, not him. “What would be the merit of my victory? What would be the honor of that medal? What would my mom think of that?” As one report put it: “Anaya chose honesty over victory.”
Proverbs says that those who desire to live honestly, who want their lives to display faithfulness and authenticity, make choices based on what’s true rather than what’s expedient. “The integrity of the upright guides them” (11:3). This commitment to integrity isn’t only the right way to live, but it also offers a better life. The proverb continues: “But the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity” (v. 3). In the long run, dishonesty never pays.
If we abandon our integrity, short term “wins” actually yield defeat. But when fidelity and truthfulness shape us in God’s power, we slowly become people of deep character who lead genuinely good lives.
Where’s your integrity being tested right now? What are the choices before you—and how do they increase (or decrease) your integrity?
God of integrity, You’re honest and faithful. Make me more like You. Teach me how to live uprightly
正直人的纯正必引导自己。—箴言11章3节
在一场艰辛的国际越野赛跑中，肯尼亚的选手穆塔伊一路领先，来到距离终点约十米之处，已经胜利在望。但赛道的标示让他误以为自己已越过终点线，因而停下脚步。跑在第二位的西班牙选手安纳亚看到穆塔伊搞错了，不但没有趁机超越对手冲向终点，反而上前提醒穆塔伊，并伸手指示他继续跑向终点，以夺取金牌。当记者问安纳亚为何刻意输了比赛，他强调，胜利应该是属于穆塔伊而非自己，又说：“若是这样得到的胜利有什么价值？那枚奖牌有什么荣誉？我的母亲对此又会有什么想法呢？”正如某个报导所言：“安纳亚选择了诚实而非胜利。”
箴言说：“正直人靠诚实引导”（11章3节，当代译本修订版）。那些渴望活出诚实的人，希望生活能表现出忠实及真诚，他们也会根据圣经真理而非个人利益做出选择。坚守诚实不但是正确的生活方式，也为人带来更好的生活。第3节还提到：“奸诈人的乖僻必毁灭自己。”从长远而言，欺诈的人终必自食恶果。
如果我们舍弃诚实，短暂的“胜利”实际上会导致失败。但若我们靠着上帝的力量在生活中坚守诚信，我们就会渐渐成为品格高尚的人，过真正美好的生活。
你的诚信目前正受到什么考验？
在你面前有哪些选择？
这些选择又如何提高（或减低）你的诚信？
上帝啊，祢是诚实无伪、信守承诺的上帝。
求祢塑造我，让我能更像祢，
教我如何过正直的生活。