integrity test
“Surely you desire truth in the inward parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost parts.” (Psalm 51:6)
Honesty is often defined by what we do in secret. Are our actions in public the same as we do behind closed doors? Kenneth Lay was the chairman and CEO of Enron, a multi-billion dollar energy corporation that went bankrupt due to mismanagement and misrepresentation of its financial practices at the hands of its executives. As a result many people lost their retirement life savings
In 1996, Kenneth Lay made a commentary in the book Business as Mission.
“In my own case I grew up the son of a Baptist
Minister. From this background, I was not only fully exposed
Legal behavior but moral and ethical behavior and what it means
From the perspective of leading organizations and people. I was,
And I’m a firm believer that it’s one of the most gratifying things
To create a high moral and ethical environment in life
in which each individual is allowed and encouraged to have his own experience
God given ability. There are few things more satisfying than this
Watch individuals reach their performance levels
This idea was almost impossible for him.”
Something went very wrong between the time Kenneth Lay wrote these words and the time he was convicted on June 6, 2006. Strangely, Lay never went to prison because he died suddenly of a heart attack a few months after his conviction.
No one is exempt from a good beginning and a bad ending. The scriptures are full of men and women who did great things for God but did not perform well in the latter part of their lives. Success can often become a breeding ground for moral failure. Oswald Chambers said, “Every man cannot carry the full cup. Sudden advancement often leads to vanity and downfall. The hardest test to survive is prosperity.”
Pray to God today to protect you from arrogance that can lead to moral failure.
