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Walk the Talk!
by Rozell A. Foster Sr. As the day’s work was finished and the family dinner time ended, the dining room table was quietly cleared and wiped clean. A tall quiet man with a bible close at his side remained at the head of the table; there was a checker board open and displayed next to him. It was an obvious invitation for someone to play. A knock at the front door introduced the guest for whom the checker board was prepared. There was a hand shake, a few words, and the game would begin. I occasionally passed back and forth through the room to observe the game and somehow connect with the world of adults and their solemn discussion. As the evening turned into night and the checker game ended, a quiet conversation followed. My grandfather sat and listened intently as the guest shared from his heart, his head hanging low upon his chest. As the evening drew to a close, grandfather would speak a few words and close with a time of prayer. There would be a parting handshake, and then a man once slumped beneath some mysterious weight rose to his feet carrying a body language of a man troubled no more. You see, my grandfather was the ruling elder of our church organization. People often came to him for spiritual advice. He was a man admired for his wisdom and walk of integrity. He was a well-respected man of God. As a child I would hear that testimony from people time and time again. Troubled men and women would call upon this tall elderly man; they would sit before him releasing their problems, regrets, sorrows, sins, and heartaches, at his feet. Those evenings of checkers and conversation left a lasting mark upon my life. Scripture speaks clearly about power of such ministry: Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. (Proverbs 12:25 KJV) “Let your words be few. A person that talks a lot does not have much to say. Always speak the truth, even if it hurts you. Do what you say you will do. If you make a promise, keep it. Let your words be your bond. If someone speaks to you in private, it is to be kept private.” Those words imparted by my grandfather will forever be etched in my memory and into the spiritual character that he was entrusted to build within me. They were words that built a biblical foundation that I could live by; they were words I could apply to my walk with Jesus Christ. From my youth I understood those words as coming from a man upright before God and his fellow man. I understand the power of integrity and how it pleases God.
In the book of I King 9:3-5, when Solomon finished building the House of the
Lord, the Lord appeared to him and said: The conclusion is simple: those who maintain a life of integrity will be blessed by God. Those who don’t will be cursed. Integrity is essential if any Christian leader is to represent God and guide people in this life. We cannot fool God; He knows when we have integrity of heart, mind, and spirit. We see a very good example of God’s knowledge of such things in the book of Job. Scripture relates a conversation Satan had with God concerning Job. And the LORD said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” 8Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” Job 1:7,8 NKJV Job withstood every test, trial, and adversity that was presented to him. Through it all he held fast to his integrity. And his latter blessing, was better then his beginning blessing. Words are containers that carry either cursing or blessing power. Proverbs tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Our mouth can be a weapon, either for Satan or against Satan. We can allow our mouth to speak negative or we can speak that which is in agreement with God’s word. Our counsel and our lives have the ability to impart life to every situation, just as my grandfather did during those checker games after dinner. The word of God is truth; it is powerful in every situation. It is the weapon of our warfare; Hebrews describes scripture as a two-edge sword. I believe the largest enemy that causes us to sin is our mouth. Every time we grumble, complain, or speak fault-finding words, we harm our spirit and open the doors for Satan to reign. Paul reminds the Philippian believers to do everything without murmurings and disputing. He reminded them because it was important to their future: He writes: “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” As we walk in integrity, people will take notice. We are representatives of God; 2 Corinthians teaches that we are His ambassadors. As we fulfill our role as leaders, those who follow us should always see a God-like character in everything we do and say. Today we live in a world of compromise. We are surrounded by a society that has abandoned moral standards and Christian principles in favor of expediency or pragmatism. Because compromise is so prevalent in our society it could be argued that we no longer have a national conscience; guilt and remorse are non-factors in determining behavior. The underlying philosophy is based on accomplishing our goals by whatever means are necessary. The motto is: "If it works for you, do it" Politicians, who should be upholding the high ideals of our country, choose the way of compromise. They promote their lofty standards and high idealistic priorities with pre-election promises, but compromise them once they are in office. This also seems to hold true in business, our judicial system, the sports world, even in our colleges and universities; people learn to lie, cheat, steal and shade the truth. This underlying approach to life cannot become part of a Christian leader’s life. When integrity speaks it will never compromise or tell untruths. Integrity involves everything --- it speaks about the wholeness of our inner person. There can be no dividing of the truth, for it splits the wholeness of what we are about. Proverbs 12:22. “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” During my childhood it seemed I was always making bad choices. My grandfather did not believe in sparing the rod, he did not hesitate to address the “seat of understanding”, (you understand my meaning). I knew the pain of the rod and was very protective of my younger sister. I never wanted her to receive the same punishment I did, so I would lie to protect her. Please understand I am not implying that my grandparents were child abusers, but they believed in the biblical principle: spare the rod and you spoil the child. As I reflect back on my childhood, I am grateful for Godly grandparents; today their words continue to echo in my heart and spirit. They were people who practiced and taught biblical truth without compromise or prejudice. One day I tried to cover for my younger sister, but somehow my grandfather knew I was lying for her. With eyes looking straight into mine he said, “If the truth be told, the punishment will not be served. But if you choose to lie, it will be much worse.” At that point I decided to tell the truth from that day until God called me home. The most valuable lessons I learned as a child took place as I watched my grandfather live his life with complete integrity before God and his fellow-man. I believe it remains the single most important issue for leaders. If we are called to help people successfully walk with God throughout their lifetime, the most powerful instruction will come as we “walk the talk” before their eyes.
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