No Price for Our Integrity. Proverbs 16:8

Better is a little with righteousness Than great income with injustice. Proverbs 16:8

One of the things that personally grieves me as a pastor and as a believer is the focus of the health, wealth, and prosperity movement.  Their focus is too often on how God wants us to be rich and wealthy - and too little on how God wants to make us holy and His above all things.  This particular proverb let us know that a little with righteousness is something to be desired.

It is better to have just a little if we have God's righteousness.  This statement is not glorifying being poor.  It is saying that if the choice is between having a little and God's ways - or having a lot and injustice and ungodliness - the choice for little is far better.  The "little" mentioned here is just that - a small amount.  But the righteousness speaks of doing righteous acts and deeds.  It refers to the possibility that doing the right thing might even cost us.  But if it does - it is better to embrace God's ways and doing right than to have the wealth and prosperity that might come if we set God's ways aside. 

To have great income, yet to have injustice, is a mistake of monumental proportions.  There are too many who sell their souls to make a buck.  There are even more who do this if a large amount of money is involved.  But there is no amount of money on earth that merits selling your integrity and your godliness.  Some would not even think of selling themselves if it is a little money - but would seriously consider it if the amount would make them rich.  But think of this before you consider doing this.  A prostitute is a prostitute whether she sells herself for a little or for a million dollars.  The fact that she would sell her purity and be a prostitute is the key fact - all else is just a matter of setting the price.  When we sell our integrity for any amount, we simply prove that we are not people of integrity and honor.  After that fact has been established everything afterward is simply negotiating the price. 

Hold fast to the Lord - and to your integrity as a believer.  There is nothing worth selling out that one wonderful thing.  Realize that there is no asking price for who you truly are.  To do so would be to infinitely cheapen something that cannot be regained once you give it up for something.  Therefore - even if you have to be poor as a result - keep your integrity and a righteous direction in life.  There is a wealth that consists of integrity and honor that no amount of moeny on earth will ever restore or merit.