Justice Douglas Lang from the Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals came and spoke to my Professional Responsibility class this semester. He also brought us each a copy of his book, Deeds Not Words. Justice Lang has a passion for the legal profession and has worked his entire career to encourage lawyers to adhere to our professional code of ethics. In our class, he discussed the need for integrity and honesty in our profession.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "integrity" as being "firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values, an unimpaired condition; the quality or state of being complete or undivided." Proverbs says that a man of integrity "walks securely." I'll have to admit that if I hire a lawyer for $200/hour, I expect that person to have integrity and to produce legal work that is on the up and up. But I also expect that the person I marry is someone complete or undivided. I hope that the person who watches my kids is someone who adheres to moral values. I hope the person who changes my oil is someone in an unimpaired condition. The bottom line is that integrity is something that everyone should strive for.
I love the title of Justice Lang's book, Deeds Not Words. That just sums up the point entirely. We are known by our deeds, despite what words we use. We will be known as hypocrites if our actions don't match what we say. But Christians can be known as people of integrity if we live especially moral lives that reflect God's Word. Let's strive for integrity. Let's live our lives as open books. Don't walk the crooked path and hope you aren't found out. Instead, let your deeds, not your words, define you.
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