GOD OF HOPE

Daily Stop & Thinks

Stop & Think: June 25, 2026

Integrity

The best index to a person’s character is how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and how he treats people who can’t fight back. (Abigail van Buren, advice columnist)

How you treat people who can benefit you or those who can’t harm you is not a good test of your integrity. It’s when you act without regard to “what’s in it for me” or “he can’t hurt me no matter what I do” that reveals the strength and consistency of your character. Doing what is right and true is the standard of integrity, not what you can gain or lose by your words and actions.

Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me (Psalm 7:8).

Stop & Think: June 24, 2026

Integrity

Doing what you said you would do is simply an issue of integrity. (Charles Swindoll, pastor and author)

They used to say, “A man’s word is his bond.” That, and maybe a handshake, were all that was necessary for a verbal contract, an agreement between two honest people. Swindoll writes further, “There is no substitute for having the guts to keep your word.” Today’s culture, however, almost demands a carefully worded contract, drafted by lawyers. How sad!

All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one (Matthew 5:37).

Stop & Think: June 23, 2026

Integrity

Reputation is learned in an hour; your character does not come to light for a year. (William Hershey Davis, seminary professor)

How quickly a reputation can be made—and lost! An otherwise good person can make one big mistake, and his reputation is instantly tarnished. On the other hand, a person can live a very good life, but it takes time before he or she is recognized as a person of integrity. Actually, it sometimes takes a lifetime to establish character.

I know, my God, that you examine our hearts and rejoice when you find integrity there (1 Chronicles 29:17). 

Stop & Think: June 22, 2026

Integrity

Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. (John Wooden, late noted basketball coach)

Coach Wooden was known, not only for his basketball playing and coaching skills, but also for his teaching and motivational abilities. He reached the pinnacle of success in collegiate coaching, but those who knew him best pay tribute to his character and integrity, which he successfully passed on to generations of young players.

The integrity of the upright guides them. . . . May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you (Proverbs 11:3; Psalm 25:21).

Stop & Think: June 21, 2026

Integrity

Integrity…does not mean sinless, but it does describe a person who by God’s grace sins less. (Sam Storms, theologian)

God is perfect and wants His people to be perfect, but it is clear from the Bible and the lives of godly people that perfection is the goal but not the present experience of true believers. On this Father’s Day, it’s good to recognize, as author Frank Pittman wrote, “Fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man.” People of integrity honor their parents.

“Honor your father and mother – which is the first commandment with a promise” (Ephesians 6:2).

Stop & Think: June 20, 2026

Integrity

Our commitment to integrity can easily be eroded by our love of progress. (Jonathan Herron, minister)

If patience is a virtue, then impatience must be a vice. We may profess to hold very high standards and to live ethically, but when a little deviation from the “straight and narrow” promises to help us reach a goal more quickly, we may be strongly tempted to give in. “Just this once,” we think, which usually leads to more missteps in the future.

I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity (1 Chronicles 29:17).

Stop & Think: June 19, 2026

Integrity

Public charisma without private character will ruin you as a leader. (Wayne Cordeiro, pastor)

Whether it’s the old-time snake-oil salesman or the modern-day Internet scammer, ultimately, no amount of personal charm will cover up evil or deceptive behavior. As the Bible says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Are you more concerned about your popularity than about your reputation and integrity?

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out (Proverbs 10:9).

Stop & Think: June 18, 2026

Integrity

To lead with integrity means to place the highest value on issues of character and the heart, not on outward conformity and performance. (Scott Morton, fundraising coach)

Our society tends to honor achievement and accomplishment in sports, music, or entertainment, no matter the morality or the ethical behavior of the performer. Often, an achiever of integrity is less highly regarded—or even overlooked—because his quiet, humble, unassuming behavior is so different. What a shame that our standards are so askew!

He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity (Proverbs 2:7).

Stop & Think: June 17, 2026

Integrity

There is no substitute for having the guts to keep your word. (Charles Swindoll, preacher and author)

It used to be that a man’s word was his bond. A handshake was all that was necessary to seal a deal. A person’s “Yes” meant yes. The test, of course, is not when you make the deal. The test comes when the hard times arrive, when it’s difficult to keep the promise. That’s when the honest person keeps his word.

It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it (Ecclesiastes 5:5).

Stop & Think: June 16, 2026

Integrity

Integrity is like the weather: Everybody talks about it, but nobody knows what to do about it. (Stephen L. Carter, legal scholar)

We really do talk a lot about the weather, don’t we? —especially after a hard winter and a long-delayed spring.  Yet, there’s little we can do about it except to prepare for it. Do we talk about character much? Maybe not, but when we do, we should realize that achieving wisdom and character is far more important than hoping for better weather.

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver! (Proverbs 16:16)

Stop & Think: June 15, 2026

Integrity

As we become people of character and integrity, we’re committed to being honest even when we don’t have to be honest. (Mike Lee, former pastor)

We admire the stories of “Honest Abe,” 16th president of the United States. Those anecdotes illustrate a quality that often seems to be lacking today. But, as Lee points out, honesty is the result of character and integrity. If we’re not honest when “we don’t have to be,” we will very likely be dishonest when we should be truthful and candid.

The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly (Proverbs 16:13).

Stop & Think: June 14, 2026

Integrity

Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong (James Bryce, British historian)

It’s Flag Day in the U. S, and it’s good to be reminded that honoring the flag is more than just waving it in parades or hanging it on your front porch. It’s a matter of integrity, too. It’s living in such a way that honors the principles the flag represents: loyalty, purity, and unity. They are qualities we should all strive to demonstrate in our interactions with our community.

For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it (Proverbs 2:21).