It is clear from creation that God values integrity. If you peel a banana, you never find an apple inside. If you cut the skin off an orange, you won’t find a pear inside. What you find on the outside accurately represents what’s on the inside. I’m working through Proverbs and Proverbs 11:1 says…

The Lord detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.

The Lord hates lying and he hates it when business is done in a dishonest way. Sometimes it may seem that lying in the marketplace can get you ahead. That’s probably true at times, but only for a little while. In the long run, honesty and integrity will win the day. Here are a couple rules of thumb when it comes to doing business in integrity.

1. Tell the truth

Don’t misrepresent your product. Don’t gouge with prices either. Charge the fair market value and let your product speak for itself. Focus on excellence and creating the best quality product. The CEO of Chick-Fil-A once said something to the affect of, “Let’s get so good that our customers demand that we get bigger.” He was saying that they were going to put a disproportionate amount of energy on excellence and then they would have no choice but to expand their business.

2. Do what you say you’re going to do

This is a big one. Simply doing this will make you stick out like a sore thumb because it’s so rare when you see this happen. It’s common to run into people and businesses that say one thing and do another. If you are ruthless about doing what you say you will do, that will carry your business to heights you never dreamed possible.

3. Do it all to the glory of God

If you do what you do to make others happy or simply for profit, your excellence level will have a lower ceiling than it needs to have. People are fickle and profits can oscillate depending on the season, but God remains the same. You can find all the purpose and motivation you need when you play for an audience of One.

There is a lot more that could be said on this topic but I will leave it here. God values integrity. He values business that is done with integrity, honesty and excellence. If you focus on a few of these core principles and stick with them, I promise you that you will be pleased with the results. Even if things don’t work out the way that you want them to, you will at least be able to put your head on the pillow at night knowing that you are conducting your business in a way that honors God.