“He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his way will be found out.”
~ Proverbs 10:9
What are the key ingredients to a peaceful life? We might be tempted to think having money, or comforts, or relational peace, or good health will provide peace for us.
And while none of those things is wrong, they don’t always provide peace.
Have you ever taken the time to check your motives for things that you do? We can fool ourselves, but when our motives are wrong, eventually we’ll be ‘found out’.
Security
Solomon offers us a simple plan for peace and security. In the verse above, Solomon suggests that the one who walks in integrity will have security.
That word for security is the Hebrew word that means safety, rest, and confidence. It means to have rest in your spirit—a peaceful heart.
Solomon’s prescription for this is to walk in integrity. This word means innocent or complete. With this word, Solomon is calling for a completely pure heart—a heart without second motives, or unspoken manipulations or plans.
Too satisfied
So what is the prescription for a life of peace, security and confidence? Solomon calls us to a life of complete transparency and honesty and openness without false motives or manipulation.
The root of manipulations and falsehoods is a desire for something. Whether that is control, or possession, or selfish desires, we manipulate because we long for something we don’t have.
But a genuine heart that walks in integrity is already satisfied. Such a heart has no longings, and therefore will not manipulate to gain.
A heart that is wholly satisfied in Jesus and in His love will have no need to manipulate. Such a heart will be careful to guard itself from falsehood, quick to keep pure motives, and quick to confess when motives are wrong.
The key ingredient to a peaceful life is integrity, and the key to integrity is satisfaction in Christ.
