I read somewhere recently (I can’t remember where) that the word “integrity” is derived from the ancient Latin word “integer” – which has made its way into our modern English usage, pretty much unchanged. But is now mostly a mathematical term. My dictionary says that “integer” means “a number which is not a fraction, a whole number” – that’s the maths bit. The secondary meaning of the word “integer” is “a thing complete in itself”. But this secondary meaning was once the exclusive meaning. In Latin integer is a thing which cannot be divided lest it lose the substance of what it really is.
And so, our word “integrity” – a derivative of “integer” - means almost the same thing. In engineering a building is said to have structural integrity if it is sound and solidly complete, and thus, safe. Integrity, therefore, speaks of the quality of being complete and sound – undivided. Someone who has integrity of character is totally trustworthy and of unyielding morality. This last week we all heard that an unknown hacker had breached the integrity of telco, Optus’, databases. It lost its security integrity causing great distrust and consternation amongst its customers.
As a boy I remember learning by heart psalm 86.11 – in the King James translation back then - “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.” I remember wondering way back then what it would mean to have a heart “united” to fear God’s Name. No one could ever properly explain that to me, a young teenager. Years later I purchased my first New International Version of the Bible, a translation I came to regard very highly (and still do, second only to the New English Translation and New Revised Standard Version which are on a par, I reckon). But I digress ...
One morning I came across psalm 86:11 and found it rendered thus … “Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
And then it made much more sense. An undivided heart cannot focus in two directions at once; it cannot be shared with any opposing parties – not fully. An undivided heart is a heart of complete devotion to the Lord, a heart of integrity – complete, sound, whole. No fractions, no partiality, no unsoundness, nothing incomplete or lacking …
Psalm 86 was David’s prayer lament. He knew that within him there lay a heart that could become divided and lacking in integrity, and wander off or get distracted. This psalm is his plea to God where he petitions for mercy – he knows he needs a single-heartedness if he is to know God’s ways, hear His voice and receive answers to his prayers. The “single-heart” desire, devoted to God and united in purpose, makes David’s petition so deeply moving – he does not want a divided focus, to be a “double-minded” person who is unstable and motivated by falsehood (see Ps 12:3; cf. 1 Chr 12:33).
In the New Testament letter of James it is written, “the double-minded man, is unstable in all his ways” and simply cannot and will not receive anything from the pursuit of prayer as some kind of religious practice. Such people must purify their hearts, says the elder, and cleanse their hands if they are to draw near to God (James 4:8) at all. The pure heart is one which is united in purpose and concentrated on the divine will. Indeed, Jesus prophesied this in the beatitudes in His sermon on the mount …
Matthew 5:8 (NIV) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God”.
And that’s the crux of the whole Christian walk with God, right there – it’s all, or nothing. There is nothing incomplete about “all”, nothing left out, nothing partial, nothing flatly two-dimensional and shallow.
The only way to walk with God and go deep with Him, far beyond the raft of shallow versions of Christian spirituality abounding today (cultural, groovy Christianity), is to have total commitment to God’s word, no compromise … an undivided heart. We can only really draw near to God with an undivided, fully devoted heart; and He draws near to us. This is the way it works, dear friends – prayer is not really prayer without an undivided heart. This is three-dimensional spirituality. This is the way God planned relationship with us from the very beginning – His heart towards us is not partial or lacking integrity. It never has been!
This is integrity for the one born-again.
An UNDIVIDED HEART, O Lord,
Is what we need each day,
For we are prone to compromise
And wander from Your way.
- Professor Daniel De Haan
Think on these things.
Ps Milton
(Sources: Word Biblical Commentary (62 Vols.), Miriam-Webster Dictionary, the writings of Professor D. De Haan)