How To Be A Man Or Woman Of Integrity?
There are times in the life span of every individual who takes his stand on high moral principles when his faith in, and knowledge of, these principles is tested to the uttermost, and the manner in which he comes from the fiery trial determines as to whether he has enough power to live as a man of Truth, and join the business of their free, or will still remain a servant and a hireling to the cruel taskmaster, Self.
Such instances of trial normally assume the kind of a temptation to do something and keep in prosperity and comfort, or to stand by what's right and accept poverty and collapse; and so strong is the trial which, to the tempted one, it clearly appears on the face of things like, if he chooses the wrong, his material success will be ensured for the rest of his lifetime, but when he does what's right, he is going to be destroyed for ever. Often the man at once quails and gives way before this dreadful prospect that the Path of Righteousness appears to hold out for him, but if he prove sufficiently strong to withstand this onslaught of temptation, then the inward seducer the soul of self, supposes the catch of an Angel of Light, and whispers,"Think about your spouse and kids; think of people that are reliant upon you; will you bring them down to disgrace and starvation?"
Strong pure and indeed must be the guy who can come triumphant from such a trial, but he who does this, enters at once a higher realm of life, where his spiritual eyes have been opened to see amazing things; then poverty and ruin which seemed inevitable don't come, but a more abiding victory stems, and a peaceful heart and a quiet conscience. But he who fails doesn't get the promised prosperity, and his heart is restless and his conscience troubled.
The right-doer cannot ultimately fail, the wrong-doer can't ultimately succeed, for"Such is the Law which moves to Righteousness Which none at last can turn aside or stay," and it's because justice is at the heart of things- since the Great Law is great - the man of ethics is superior to fear, and failure, and poverty, and shame, and disgrace.
The guy who fearing the loss of present pleasures or material comforts, denies the Truth in him, could be hurt, and robbed, and degraded, and trampled upon, since he's injured, robbed and helpless, and trampled upon his own nobler self; but the man of true merit, of unblemished integrity, can't be subject to these conditions, because he's denied the craven self inside him and has taken refuge in Truth. It's not the scourge and the chains that make a man a slave, but the fact he is a slave.
Slander, Accusation, and malice cannot impact the righteous man, nor call from him any bitter answer, nor does he need to go about to defend himself and prove his innocence. His integrity and innocence alone are a sufficient answer to all that hatred may attempt against him. Nor can he ever be subdued by the forces of darkness, having subdued all those forces within himself; but he turns all evil things to good account - from darkness that he brings light, from love, from dishonour honor; and slanders, envies, and misrepresentations only serve to create more vivid the gem of Truth within him, and to glorify his high and holy destiny.
Allow the man of ethics rejoice and be glad when he's severely tried; let him be thankful he has been given an opportunity of proving his devotion to the noble principles that he's espoused; and let him think:"Now is the hour of sacred prospect! Now's the day of victory for Truth! Though I lose the entire world I'll note desert the best!" So thinking, he'll return good for evil, and will think compassionately of the wrong-doer.
The slanderer, the backbiter, and the wrong-doer may appear to succeed for a time, but the Law of Justice prevails; the man of ethics may appear to fail for a moment, but he's invincible, and in not one of the worlds, visible or invisible, can there be forged a weapon which will prevail against him.