(Reflections on Integrity)
Ever wonder what Satan might think about you? In the opening chapters of Job, we discover what Satan thought about one of of God's righteous servants. We learn Satan's fundamental criticism against those who serve God. To paraphrase him, a person will do whatever is necessary, even worship God, in order to get what he wants.(1) In other words, Satan believes that those who serve God do so for very selfish reasons.
On the other hand, for someone to truly live with Godly integrity in serving God requires that this person's character (behavior and motivations) needs to be devoted to God not to Self. Satan claims that those who appear to possess such integrity will abandon serving God when their selfish reasons for worshiping God are taken away (e.g. various blessings, good health, etc.).(2)
The question for each one of us is, "Who are you?"
In the book of Job, God allowed Satan to test his theory on Job in order to discover whether Job’s integrity was as shallow as Satan claimed it was. But despite his suffering and pain, Job maintained his integrity; he continued to serve God and did not sin by turning away from God.(3) This is not to say that Job's faith was not challenged for it was. (4) But, Satan was wrong about Job!
Are all people like Job? Apparently not. When Job’s wife encouraged Job to curse God and die since misery had now come to him, she demonstrated that Satan was right about some of humanity.(5)
There have been many examples of those who have maintained their integrity in serving God when the perks have been taken away or even in the face of severe suffering. Remember Jesus, Stephen, the apostles, Hebrews 11? Among our own congregations from time to time are those who have continued and are continuing to serve God while suffering with severe pain and various afflictions.
Paul claimed that everybody is a slave to something.(6) Those who choose to reject serving God must by default serve something else. Paul identifies that master as sin. Although someone might be fooled into claiming that “I serve no one,” the real question is “who do you serve?” To serve Self is to be ... Sin’s slave and to follow the rules of the kingdom of darkness which are essentially "you are the captain of your life" and therefore "anything goes."
Reflecting on Satan’s accusations concerning Job causes me to explore my integrity ...
Who am I really serving? God or myself?Why am I serving God? Because He is worthy of praise, glory and honor, or because I want protection from suffering?
Would I still worship God in the midst of suffering?
Let’s encourage one another to be faithful loving servants of regardless of our circumstances.
1 Job 1:9-11
2 Job 1:9-11; 2:4-5
3 Job 2:3, 10
4 Job 6:14
5 Job 2:9
6 Romans 6:16-18
Barry Newton, Copyright © 1998
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