There seems to be so much divisiveness and turmoil in our world today, and along with that there comes a sense that we can’t believe anything we hear on the news or trust most people that we come in contact with on a daily basis.

We have become a cynical people…with reason.The man I consider my pastor spoke on integrity this past Sunday morning.

Integrity has become a rare commodity in the world today, and even in the world of so called Christians.

There was a time not long ago when integrity was a given. Most folks had it. Most folks lived by it.

Now, integrity, truth and trust are fading into the past as fast as cowboys and malt shops. Politics has given most of us a bad taste in our mouths and we look at our so-called leaders with disdain. We blame them for our lot in life.

That lack of integrity seems to be invading every walk of life.

There is such a lack of integrity among believers that it drives people away. The days of a handshake being enough, or a person’s word being their bond are fading into dust. I see it every day.

I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened. The only explanation I can find is in the words of the Bible that tell us Satan is loose and rampant and people are lovers of them ownselves more than lovers of God.

More often than not, people are selfish. Reciprocity barely exists. Good deeds go unnoticed unless they benefit us, and so often we do good deeds only to be noticed.

We have slid towards being more like Pharisees instead of the widow who only had a mite, and gave it.

My grandpa and mawmaw taught me integrity. They taught me when you say something mean it. When you say you’re going to do something, do it.

None of us are perfect. We all sin. But things like integrity, honesty, loyalty…those things should be held in high regard. The sad thing is they are far too rare.

Speaking of politics, a lot of us around these parts have local elections underway. With local politics there is still a measured amount of integrity and a desire to do what is best for the people. If you live in a spot that is having a local election, whether it be for city council or school board, the onus is on you to do your due diligence and vote for the candidate that you believe will do the best job for those they are elected to serve.

Luckily for me I am entrusted to be impartial and nonbiased when it comes to local politics. Yes I will cast my own votes and I do know who I will be voting for, but I am not going to try to influence you.

I will say this though.

Integrity is something we desperately need in politics, even local politics. If I was to look at the landscape of our local politics closely, and be honest, there are a few places where integrity is suspect. But there again, that is up to you to decide.

I guess if I was to try and sum up what I am thinking as I write this it would be that we live in a world today that seems to have a lot of turmoil and trouble and if you would allow me to be my simplistic self I believe the world is the way it is because we have steered away from the things that once brought integrity to life.

The answer seems very simple to me and it is that we need to get back to things like reading our Bibles, listening to a good sermon on Sunday morning, and living by the Ten Commandments.

You can say that is simplistic, and maybe it is, but things like integrity, honesty, and trust were not so rare when we lived in a world where the Bible was more important than social media or the nightly TV shows.

Trust me, I am talking to myself here as much as anyone else. We all need to put our focus on the fact that our focus is somewhere besides where it needs to be and we live in a time when there are people that need to see us living by the precepts we say we live by.

It is simply this…actions speak louder than words.