What is Your Word Worth?

Time for an integrity check, friends.
If your friends, family, and co-workers were asked to rate you on your integrity, how would you score? When you make a promise or say that you will do something in particular, what is your completion rate? Would you be horrified to hear that you let people down on a regular basis, or would they give you rave reviews?
Long gone are the days of "being a man ( or woman ) of your word" in our society. Sadly, a handshake and a promise are not worth much. When you fail to fulfill a promise or duty, it not only reflects poorly on you, but in my opinion, if you are a believer and follower of Christ, it tarnishes His image as well.
Today I am having a hard time feeling very full of sparkle, because someone in my life did not follow through with a pledge to me, and now something important has gone undone. It wouldn't be so bad, but a chain reaction of events has begun and it will be a chore to fix it. In moments like this, I make note of how frustrating it is to be on the other end of a lack of integrity and I vow to try harder in my own life to not be the one disappointing someone.

"Whatsoever you do, do it from the heart, as to the Lord, and not for men." Colossians 3:23

I don't think any of us would brush off a commitment or promise to God, so why do we feel like we can half heartedly take care of our earthly promises? Maybe that's the problem. Many of us don't take our commitment to the Lord seriously, and therefore we aren't in tune with how we may not be taking our integrity and promises to heart.
I challenge all of us, myself included, to think of 2 or 3 promises or commitments we have made that may have fallen by the wayside in our busy lives. Write them down on an index card or Post It note and look at them daily. Pray about your response to those pledges of integrity. Where can you improve? What action needs to take place? Do you need to apologize for letting someone down? It may be tough to swallow, but by being more aware of where we have shortcomings, we can grow into a better example of who Christ is in us.

May your day be filled with Sparkle, from the inside out.