"WHEN NO ONE'S LOOKING"

While mulling this over, the editor went down to have his morning coffee at the town diner and there he met up with the local tombstone maker. They got to talking and the stone carver confessed that he was having the same problem. He wanted to put something on Miss Jones's tombstone besides just her birthday and death date, but he couldn't think of anything of significance that she had ever done.

The editor decided to go back to the office and assign to the first reporter he came across the task of writing up a few lines suitable for both the paper and the tombstone. Upon returning to the office, the only person around was the sports writer, so the editor gave the assignment to him.

And they say that if you pass through that little community you can find the following statement on the old woman's tombstone:

"Here lie the bones of Hattie Jones;
For her, life held no terrors.
She lived an old maid,
She died an old maid,
No hits, no runs, no errors."

How do you want to be remembered? Not even at the end of your life, but let's say...at the end of your working life? At the end of your present job? How do you want to be remembered? What do you want to look back and see?

This morning we come to the final message in the series we've been in this month, "Faith at Work: Being a Spiritual Person in a Secular Job." Now back in part 1 of this series, I told you that what you do for a living is not all that defines who you are as a person. In part 2, we discussed the need to bring our Christian spirituality into the workplace with us...not for the purpose of "evangelizing" but to insure ourselves a greater sense of peace in the midst of workplace chaos and to serve as an example to others. Last week, we looked at the realities of dealing with difficult people and our need to have awareness and forbearance and forgiveness.

As we wrap up this look at our working lives this morning, I want each of us to ask ourselves: "Who am I...when no one's looking? Do I have the courage of my stated convictions when dealing with others? Am I self- controlled and disciplined about my work? Am I consistent in my behavior? Do I endure through the difficult moments rather than giving up?"

Today's message is about choosing to be a person of integrity in the workplace. I believe that when we retire or leave a particular job to start another, the greatest thing that we could look back and see, or have others say about us, is that we had integrity as we went about doing our work. That we were honest...open...consistent...genuine. As Christians, integrity may be the greatest contribution we could make to the modern working world. God knows...it's a quality often lacking.

In recent years we have had stockbrokers imprisoned for insider trading, defense contractors fined for cheating the public out of hundreds of millions of dollars, enthusiastic alumni exposed for paying money under the table to college athletes, and countless public officials convicted (or at least condemned in the nation's heart) for betraying the public trust.

While we live in a high-tech society with amazing potential for improving the lives of people, improvement isn't happening because there are too many people in too many places whose lives and work lack integrity. That's why the subject of our Scripture reading this morning makes such a good example for us. To be able to come to the end of a career of any sort with Samuel's "clean hands" would be a noble goal for anyone.

In that reading from the Old Testament book of 1st Samuel, we heard a short section of a sermon that Samuel...the retiring leader of the people of Israel...gave on the occasion of the confirmation of the nation's new king, Saul. Samuel had been a "judge"...a leader and guide for the people...for many years. And in looking back with them at his "career," he said, in essence, "In all the years that I have led you, have I ever stolen from you...or cheated you...or lied to you...or used you unfairly?" And the people had to answer,"No!" Samuel had been a person of integrity throughout his years with them. That is an example that we as Christians need to follow...because our integrity can make a difference in the working world and create an example for others to follow as well.

Each of us can choose to be a person of integrity in the workplace. But...like any element of truly following Jesus in our lives, doing that won't always be easy. Having integrity takes courage, self-control and consistency. That can be tough. We all know that it sometimes seems easier to give in to the temptation to do what is wrong even when we know what is right. That's why integrity demands courage. Think about it. What kind of guts does it take, for example, to be honest? Your company doesn't want to offend customers, so it may be a common practice around your office to say, "The shipment will be there Monday," even when you know it won't leave the warehouse until Wednesday. You may have to chose whether you will adopt that mentality. Or if you're an accountant, to have integrity you will have to be willing to stand up to clients and risk losing an account in order to be sure that the laws are followed and that people do what is right. That takes courage.

But it's worth it; integrity is really always to our advantage. The inventor of a promising new product, a two-chamber air mattress that had the competitive advantage of preserving body heat, tells of talking to a businessman who offered to manufacture and sell the mattresses, giving the inventor a royalty. The businessman, over the course of their conversation, revealed with some pride that he never paid any taxes.

The inventor was incredulous and asked, "How do you do it?" The businessman replied smugly, "I keep two sets of books!" "So which set of books will you use to record the sales of my mattresses to compute the royalty you owe me?" There was no answer to the question. End of deal.

In the book Working with Emotional Intellinence, Daniel Goleman writes, "Integrity--acting openly, honestly, and consistently--sets apart outstanding performers in jobs of every kind. Take those in sales roles that depend on the strength of ongoing relationships. In such ajob, someone who hides crucial information, breaks promises, or fails to fulfill commitments undermines the trust so vital to repeat business."

Douglas Lennick, executive vice president of American Express Financial Advisors, concurs: "Some people have the mistaken impression you can succeed in business by cheating people or pressuring them into buying something they don't need. That may work for you in the short term, but it will undermine you in the long run. You'll be far more successful if you stay in alignment with your personal values."

That's true in business...that's true in life. Being a person of integrity takes courage...but we have the assurance that God's Holy Spirit is available to give us the courage to do the right thing when the wrong thing would be easier. In 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul says, "God did not give us a spirit of timidness but a spirit of power."

What many folks don't realize is that the courage of integrity is gained through the self-control and discipline to do right and be right and choose right...day after day after day. It's too bad, really, that we usually hear about courage only when someone performs some extreme act of heroism that attracts attention - like carrying a baby out of a burning building or rescuing a beloved pet from an icy pond or something. Dramatic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities rarely seem to happen to ordinary folks like you and me. But the older we get, the more we come to understand that it takes a great deal of courage to face life's ordinary, everyday challenges. The courage to be a person of integrity at work comes through the self-control and discipline to do a good job...the right way...every day...even when no one's looking.

We are so blessed to have in this church an employee of incredible integrity. When I took the position as Pastor here, it didn't take me long at all to discover that Becky was an outstanding asset. Yes, she's good at what she does, but she possesses an even rarer quality: disciplined integrity in how she does her job. Becky will be here when she's supposed to be here...doing what needs to be done...whether I'm here or not. Frankly, having worked with Pastors from Becky's position myself in the past, she probably prefers it when I'm not here!

Things don't get done or not done based on her mood or who's around or whether anyone will know or not. She does her job because she has a self-controlled discipline that I personally admire and sometimes envy. And that's partly why I am "chomping at the bit" to get an Administrative Assistant in the office so that Becky can be freed up to accomplish more and take on more challenging and productive ministry here. There's no doubt she can be responsible for more...not in anyone's mind...because she has proven her self-controlled integrity over and over and over. Sometimes, in religious circles, we call that faithfulness. Jesus teaches that when we are faithful with a few things, we will be put in charge of many things. I don't know if Becky thinks that's good news, but that's how it works!

Being a person of integrity in the workplace takes courage and self-control and, above all, consistency. There is no integrity where there is no consistency. Christ is the same yesterday and today and tomorrow and...in our values and ethical behavior and honesty and openness...so should we be.

I know from Lorraine and lots of other teachers I've heard talk, that the most crucial element of controlling a classroom and getting through to children is consistency. Even if they resist the discipline and complain about the rules and act like they want the teacher to "give 'em a break," the truth is that consistency builds trust and an atmosphere of security that enables learning and caring to take place.

So it is in other kinds of work...in any kind of work. We must be consistent in what we do...and have endurance in doing it. We can't throw up our hands and say, "I quit!" every time the going gets tough. Integrity demands consistency...consistent effort regardless of outcome and endurance in the face of possible defeat.

Did you know:

* Dr. Seuss's first children's book was rejected by twenty-three publishers...before the twenty-fourth took it and sold six million copies?
* After having been rejected by both Hewlett-Packard and Atari, Apple microcomputers had first-year sales of $2.5 million?
* Vince Lombardi didn't become a head coach in the NFL until he was forty-seven?
* During their first year in business, the Coca-Cola company sold only 400 sodas?
* In his first three years in the automobile business, Henry Ford went bankrupt twice?
* Inventor Chester Carlson pounded the streets for years before he could find backers for his Xerox photocopying process?
* Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team?
* Alex Haley spent years writing mundane reports for the Navy and having stories and articles rejected by publishers before Roots made publishing and television history?

Now none of us may every make history, become a famous athlete, invent a new product, or start a multimillion dollar company - but whatever our dreams are, whatever our work is, the willingness to "keep on keeping on" will determine our measure of success. And having courage, self-control and consistency - even when no one's looking - will determine the level of our integrity.

How do you want to be remembered? When you retire from your career or leave this job to start another? Or even at the end of your life? What do you want to look back and see about yourself!

The word "integrity" not only means being moral, honest, and sincere but also "whole and complete." No job will ever make us whole and complete. No amount of money or status or accomplishment or even the opinions of other people will give us the wholeness for which we long--the "integration" of our spirits with the Spirit of God: integrity of the soul.

Only Jesus Christ can give us that. And that, Christ has done. We are successful in God's eyes...we are complete in God's mind...we carry the Spirit of Christ within us. Remember that when you go out into the work- a-day world and know that even when no one else is looking...Jesus is there, working with you. Amen.

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