The Integrity Question:
Our decisions are more than isolated moments—they shape the trajectory of our lives. And if we’re honest, most of us have done more to sabotage our own future than anyone else ever could. Outside voices may have pressured, promised, or threatened us, but at the end of the day, the decision was ours. And too often, we didn’t decide by carefully weighing every option.
That’s why we need wisdom. Knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is rare. One of sin’s first casualties was wisdom, leaving us vulnerable to foolishness. And no one suffers more from our foolishness than we do.
The Evidence of Foolishness
Scripture overflows with examples. David and Bathsheba is one of the most sobering. A man after God’s own heart, yet choice after choice spiraled into disaster.
We shake our heads: What was he thinking? Did he forget who he was? Did he think God wouldn’t notice?
But David is not an outlier—he’s a mirror. Our lives carry stories where others could easily say the same: What were they thinking? And the hardest truth? Most of the time we knew better. We just failed to act on what we knew.
Why? Because the easiest person to deceive is the one in the mirror. We have been present for every bad financial, relational, professional, or academic decision we’ve ever made. And we were the chief architects behind them.
Why We Struggle to Tell Ourselves the Truth
Psychologists call it confirmation bias—the tendency to:
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Seek information that supports what we already want to do
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Tune out anything that contradicts us
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Filter reality so it matches our desires
Want something badly enough, and your brain will make the stars align. Contrary evidence gets ignored.
Jeremiah diagnosed it long before the experts: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Our hearts mislead us. And unchecked, that deception breeds regret.
Three Symptoms of a Deceptive Heart
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Self-Centeredness – We were created to live for God’s pleasure, but sin narrows life to self. That’s why we lash out when life doesn’t go our way, or collapse into self-pity when our comfort is threatened.
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Self-Deception – We rebrand wrong as right.
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“I wasn’t angry; I was just concerned.”
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“That wasn’t lust; I was admiring beauty.”
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“It wasn’t wasteful; I was treating myself.”
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Self-Sufficiency – We weren’t designed to live independently. God created us for dependence on Him and interdependence with others. Yet pride pushes us toward isolation and defensiveness.
The Integrity Question
If our hearts are this deceitful, what hope do we have? God has given us His Word, His Spirit, His people—and a piercing question:
Am I being honest with myself… really?
Ask it twice. Add the word really.
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Why am I buying this… really?
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Why am I saying yes… really?
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Why am I avoiding her… really?
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Why did I move in… really?
This question slows us down. It cuts through the fog of self-deception and exposes motives we’d rather hide.
The Way Forward
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Admit it. A deceitful heart is not a phase; it’s a lifelong condition that needs supervision. Humility is the first step.
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Ask it. Stand before the mirror and face the hard questions: Am I being honest with myself… really?
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Be curious. Explore the “why” behind your desires. Curiosity uncovers blind spots and insecurities—but it also opens the door to freedom.
The Integrity Decision
The truth may sting, but it always sets us free. Dishonesty keeps us enslaved.
I will not lie to myself, even when the truth makes me feel bad about myself.
