8 Little Ways To Remind Yourself To Love With Integrity

Bill and I are known as relationship specialists, experts on love and romance, and marriage educators. We have even been called “The Barbie and Ken of Love.” Our ministry is called Love Wise, and our goal is to help people in all their most vital relationships by intersecting God’s wisdom with people's desire to be loving. What this means is—we need to live out our love! We need to make every effort to get along, work through issues, and give plenty of mercy and grace to protect our marriage. PamandBill is practically one word. We are unified; our brand is us.

You have a brand too. It is your family legacy—that which you want remembered about your love story. How hard are you working at protecting your brand? Are you watching over the little things in your life?

The Bible tells us this is a priority in MANY places—here are two:

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump...(1 Corinthians 5:6-7).

Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23).

The “A Priority” is to guard our life and protect the gift of love God gave us.

The question is rather simple: which part of this Proverb would you choose to live out?

He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out (Proverbs 10:9).

Our guess is you selected to walk in integrity to secure your love lasts and your legacy lives. 

God will bless your choice to keep your vows:

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity (Proverbs 2:7).

For the Lord is righteous, he loves righteousness; The upright will behold his face (Psalm 11:7).

 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).

In my newest book, 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman: Success in Keeping Everything Together, I share that on my desk are several items to remind me that it pays to walk in love and integrity:

1. Photos of Bill and me, as well as photos of our children, grandchildren, mentees, and parents—all those whose lives I would undermine if I cheated on my vows.

2. A compass given to me by a wise mentor in leadership who said, “Let God’s voice be your compass.”

3. All my Bibles. Looking at God’s Word all day every day reminds me to be in it, and to let it impact the way I live.

4. A barnacle attached to a stone as a reminder that a barnacle cannot live apart from the stone just as I cannot survive apart from Christ, the Rock of my Salvation.

5. A frame with verses about living with integrity visible on the front, and stories of the harmful wake others left when they wandered from Christ and his plan for committed love.

6. A heart paper-weight to remind me to have a whole heart for God.

7. A figurine with an umbrella on it, reminding me that life is best when lived under what I call “God’s umbrella of blessing.”

For it is you who blesses the righteous man, O Lord, You surround him with favor as with a shield (Psalm 5:12).

8. A turtle. Why? Because if you see a turtle on a fence post you should ask, “How did that turtle get there?" Turtles can’t climb, so someone placed the turtle on high. In the same way, God gave each of us a legacy, a  platform, so God can take us down a few notches—or elevate and bless us—depending on our choices.

“Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you” (James 4:10).

Love may not be easy—but it can be SIMPLE. What will you place on your desk to remind you that “those that honor God, God honors“? (1 Samuel 2:30). Guard your heart, your life and your love, and in that way, you are guarding your legacy. 

Pam and Bill Farrel are international speakers, authors of 40 books including their newest: 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman and 7 Simple Skills for Every Man, each designed to help a person, using simple skills, to create a life that he/she will love to live, and a way to love those in his/her life. www.love-wise.com  

Publication date: May 11, 2015