Alam kong sinasaliksik ninyo ang puso ng bawat tao, at natutuwa kayo sa mga matuwid. O Diyos, buong puso kong ipinagkakaloob sa inyo ang lahat ng ito. Nasaksihan ko rin ang buong puso at may kagalakang pagkakaloob ng inyong bayan na narito ngayon.

1 Mga Cronica 29:17

Do you want to please God? Then be a person of integrity. Because God is pleased with integrity. David declares this before the assembly when he prayed “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (1 Chronicles 29:17a, NIV).

How can we live in integrity? Here’s how: “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet, stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil” (Proverbs 4:25–27, NLT). Simpleng-simple lang: Mamuhay nang matuwid.

When we set this as our guide, we will need to examine every aspect of our lives. In our jobs: the quality of the work and the time we put in. In our relationships: the promises we keep or break. In our finances: how and where we spend our money (which actually belongs to God too!). As Filipino citizens: the taxes we pay or underpay. As parents: the example we give to our children. And so on and so forth.

Also, we need to examine our culture and confront the evil structures in it. Corruption, fake news, violence, injustice, among others. We should not be identified with people whose ways the Lord hates. Those with “haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong” (Proverbs 6:16–18, NLT). Also, “a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family” (v. 19).

Hindi madali ang mamuhay nang matuwid. But we can hold on to the promise that “People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed” (Proverbs 10:9, NLT). And that “the good people who live honest lives will be a blessing to their children” (Proverbs 20:7, NCV).