I never understood it. It seems like overkill to me, but you've seen it too. The horse gets a broken leg, AND THEY SHOOT IT! You've just gotta hope those vets aren't on duty when you go in for a physical ...

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jones; your husband had a high cholesterol problem, and we just had to PUT HIM DOWN!"

Apparently, there are certain physical problems in a horse's life so damaging that the best and most merciful thing to do is to take its life. It's all about INTEGRITY.

You see, integrity is not just about honesty; it's about soundness. It's about not having the kind of hidden problems that will take you down. It means being whole and right and solid all the way through. Like a building with structural integrity, there should be no issues that will lead to your downfall.

High Demand and Short Supply

The first time I did a study on the character qualities of an elder in 1 Timothy 3, I was overwhelmed with two words: must be. God didn't make this optional. He said an elder must have these qualities. So much is at stake.

Paul says elders are to be "blameless" and "above reproach" and "have a good reputation with those outside the church." They must be sound. They must have integrity

We understand this when we see the latest report of a fallen pastor. A moral failure that hits the front page devastates the redeemed, rocks the church, and confuses the seeker. It is exactly the kind of news Satan loves to report.

How many times have you seen a seemingly great person fall suddenly? You are shocked and amazed, and you wonder, "How did that happen all of a sudden?"

The answer is, it didn't. Cataclysmic character problems don't happen overnight. They're usually manifested because there was a crack in the foundation. Over time, with the right pressures and a lack of attention to needed repairs, the whole house can collapse.

Satan knows when and how to bring the right pressure, and he doesn't mind waiting. His goal is to do as much damage and take down as many people as possible. He loves an outstanding, visible person with an integrity problem. It's like an unstable explosive in a glass shop.

Tending the Reservoir

Sinkholes are an amazing phenomenon. There you are, minding your own business, putting a little fertilizer on your lawn. The next morning, you wake up to a 30-foot hole in your front yard! It's shocking to you and extremely visible to everyone who drives down your street.

But if you could have been watching underground, you would have seen the lake underneath your lawn gradually drying up, creating a cavern ripe for a little pressure and a cataclysmic fall. (Gordon MacDonald has a great perspective on this in his book Ordering Your Private World.)

The way to forestall a physical, moral, or spiritual sinkhole is to maintain the reservoir. We must pay attention to our inner life. We must keep it flowing with the life of God so there are no "broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13).

More than anything else, this means daily communion with the Father. We need the teaching, reproof, correction, and training that only God's Word can provide (2 Tim. 3:16). The study of God's truth must be not merely for sermon preparation but also for personal application. We ought to have the integrity not to preach what we are unwilling to live.

Further, we need integrity spotters—a few men in our lives who are willing to ask us the hard questions ... who have permission to go deeper than others would ... who know us well enough to realize when we're blowing smoke and who love us enough to call our hand. For almost every person, there are structural problems in our character that we simply cannot see without the help of friends who are filled with grace and truth.

Finishing the Race

I used to be mildly impressed with Paul's statement near the end of his life, when he said he'd fought the good fight, finished the course, and kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). Now, after 40 years of ministry and seeing hundreds of men fall to their own pride and the enemy's ambushes, I am overwhelmed. Some of the best men I've ever known have fallen. I would be arrogant indeed to think that I am immune.

It is a hard thing to make it to the finish line with no embarrassment, representing the Master faithfully and well. But it is possible. Paul did, and so can you, by the grace of the God of perfect integrity.