THE WORKER AND SPIRITUAL, MORAL, AND EMOTIONAL INTEGRITY.

I Timothy 4:16
Take care of yourself and your teaching; persevere in these things; because,
By doing this, you will save yourself as well as those who hear you.

INTRODUCTION
Worker is: One who works; laborer, employee. Individual who produces something.
through your practical action; whoever acts.
Being a worker in the Kingdom of God is a great privilege for each one of those
What they understood the magnitude of the Kingdom of the Lord, here on earth. When a man realizes the
width, length, height and the depth of God's work, he feels happy to be one of His
workers. (Eph. 3:18). We are all workers of the Lord, regardless of position or activity.
In the ministry we are engaged in, from the ordinance to the pulpit, we are all workers of the Kingdom.
The Bible in II Tim. 2:15, strive to present yourself approved to God, as a worker who does not have
of what to be ashamed, who handles the word of truth well. This is a special word to the
workers. Each worker must have a high degree of commitment to the Kingdom of God. They must be
to be committed to the growth of the Kingdom, contributing with your work. This means that
the worker works without causing trouble. He is hardworking, but he is not troublesome.
A worker of the Kingdom of God is someone careful and diligent in their tasks, not
he works as if he were doing a favor to God, on the contrary, he works out of gratitude, for
undeserved favors he receives from the Lord. He is a man full of virtues, and one of them is the
maturity, the balance, both emotional and spiritual. He understands that the work does not revolve around
he understands that he is not God, but just a small piece in the great machinery that is the Kingdom
from God. Therefore, he accepts advice, criticism, correction, and help.
The worker of the Kingdom of God is someone who, above all, loves the Lord of that Kingdom, loves His
word and in it she dedicates herself, for she knows that it is an indispensable tool of her work and her source of
daily food. Thus are the workers of the Kingdom of God.

INTEGRITY
A term that originates from the Latin integritate, which means the quality or state of what is.
integral or complete. It is synonymous with honesty, integrity, impartiality. Also, particularity or
condition of what is whole; quality of what has not been subject to reduction; wholeness. In sense
figuratively, integrity can be described as honesty, purity, or innocence. It can designate a
attitude of moral fullness, being the characteristic of an incorruptible person.
Integrity is a conduct characterized by a convergence between
words and actions. An upright person has a straight conduct, she does what she
speak, what she thinks, always guided by ethics and honesty.
She maintains her honor, what she thinks is reflected in what she does clearly.
The words and the speech of an upright person are aligned with ethics. A
An integral person is seen as responsible, has well-aligned beliefs, convictions.
well defined and a high level of dedication to what one sets out to do.
Being honest is a basic prerequisite for living in society. And of course, the
Integrity is a fundamental characteristic for developing a career.
in any segment.
People who do not understand or do not handle integrity well cannot be
considered whole. After all, there is no way to be "half-whole," either you are or
No, it isn't. (Rodrigo Huback)
 There was a lot of reason for the psalmist to pray to God, wishing for an upright and righteous life, for this is what
The Lord takes pleasure in a man's life, and even more so, if he is a worker in the Kingdom of God.
may integrity and uprightness protect me, for my hope is in you." Ps. 25:21

2. SPIRITUAL INTEGRITY
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God, and
morra!" Job 2:9.
Job, the servant of God, from the land of Uz, is an example of spiritual integrity.
Just as in a storm the firmness of a tree is seen, if its roots are strong, so
also, our spiritual integrity can be seen in the midst of life's adversities. Job who faced
through the most diverse types of life's adversities, remained faithful to God. Even suffering despair
of physical, emotional, and spiritual pains, Job maintained his spiritual integrity. Job, who was honored
by everyone, now he was despised, even by children, his crown of honor fell from his head. "Even the
Children despise me, and when I want to rise, they mock me.” Job 19:18.
Job's friends could not see his integrity; rather, they thought he was being
exalting, thinking too highly of oneself. However, his wife, the one who knew him better than
any other human being saw that the spiritual position of her husband remained unchanged, so,
she asked: "Do you still maintain your integrity? Maybe she thought, God took away your possessions,
your children, your honor, your health, turned your back on him, took away our intimacy, God does not deserve
but the respect, and the integrity of my husband. So, she advised him, saying "Curse God,
and die!" However, Job replied: "You speak as any foolish person; we have received good from God and not
Would we also receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips." Job 2:10. With this
response, Job proved that even if everything around him and even his body was destroyed, there was something that
it remained in its state of wholeness, without diminishment, his spiritual life.
Job's response to the problems that arose in his life is closely linked to the life of
communion, intimacy, and worship of God. Everyone should seek a sincere life of intimacy with
God, this should be the priority of every worker. Notice that the apostles did not let themselves be led by
temptation to reduce the time of prayer (intimacy) and meditation on the Word of God, Acts 6:2.2 -
So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and said: 'It is not right that we...
let us abandon the word of God to serve tables. Without a doubt this decision was correct.
Unfortunately, while we are in the world, we are touched and often corrupted by the
negative influences around us. We cannot leave the world. But do we need to bring the
world into our life? And of the church itself? The answer is, no!
Some biblical texts shed a lot of light on the subject, see: John 17:14,15.
14 - I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world,
As I am not. 15 - I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil.
Philippians 2:15 says: so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in
in the midst of a perverse and corrupt generation, in which you shine as lights in the world.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works"
good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven
James 1:27 "Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: […] to himself
even keeping oneself untainted from the world.
Is it possible for us to be pure and whole in a world where we are bombarded?
daily by perversity? Is it possible to be upright in a world of corruption? Is it possible to be pure
In a world of seduction? Psalm 101 gives us an answer: Yes!
 3. MORAL INTEGRITY
Moral integrity - Morality is linked to a person's dignity. Therefore, the
moral integrity is characterized by a person's principles, which should be based on
respect and honesty. In law, when a person is offended, for example, there is a process
for moral damages, created to impose penalties on those who harm the moral integrity of another person.
But in spiritual terms and, especially in leadership, moral integrity speaks of wholeness.
the character of the leader. Moving away from evil and its appearance. Moral integrity is closely
linked to the character of each individual. Thus, we can affirm that the Churches are running
serious risks in our days. People with a lot of theology, but with no character are taking over
fundamental roles in ecclesiastical leadership. People with strong and very charismatic personalities,
full of knowledge, with administrative skills, but lacking essence, lacking character, lacking integrity.
We have already seen the concept of what integrity is, but what about character?

3.1 What is Character

Character is a set of characteristics and traits related to the way one acts and reacts.
individual or of a group. It is a moral trait. It is the firmness and coherence of attitudes.
The set of qualities and flaws of a person is what will determine their conduct and the
your morality, your character. Your values and moral firmness define the coherence of your actions,
your procedure and behavior.
A person known as "without character" or "bad character" is generally qualified as
dishonest, as it does not exhibit firmness of principles or morals. On the other hand, a person "of
"Character" is someone with a solid and unquestionable moral formation.
And let us not confuse integrity, character, with personality.

3.2 Personality and Character

Personality is the way we present ourselves to the world, it is how we express ourselves to others.
other people, for example, our communication skills, our posture, our charisma. It is the
What people perceive from us, our exterior.
Character is the morality we uphold even when no one is watching, it is fidelity to
what is right and honest. Thus, a person can have a great personality but be devoid of
character. A person can be charismatic, have good oratory skills, can communicate very well, can be
funny, it can be wonderful in its personality, and yet, its essence can be devoid of
character.
John Robert Wooden (10/14/1910 to 06/04/2010) was an American player and coach of
basketball. A 'Monster' of American basketball, one of the most revered coaches in history.
Of sports, he once said: "Worry more about your character than your reputation."
Character is what you are, reputation is just what others think you are.

3.3 José, an example of integrity

• José in his father's house
When we read about Joseph, we see that it is possible for a man to remain righteous and, under grace
divine, regardless of age and the circumstances surrounding it.
José remained upright, even in the face of the bad testimony and hostility from his brothers.
As being the younger brother, I could adopt the lifestyle and procedures of my older siblings.
old, but this did not happen; on the contrary, he denounced them. Gn. 37.2,4
 These are the generations of Jacob. Being Joseph seventeen years old, he was feeding the sheep with
his brothers; while still young, he used to walk with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, the wives of
his father; and José brought bad news about them to his father.
4 - Therefore, his brothers, because their father loved him more than all of them, hated him, and did not ...
they could talk to him peacefully.

• Joseph in Potiphar's house

In Potiphar's house, commander of the Egyptian royal guard (Gen 39:1), Joseph's integrity would be
tested on at least three highly dangerous fronts: power, money, and sex. In Gen. 39:4, Joseph is
elevated to the position of superintendent of Potiphar's house and possessions. Thus, Joseph found favor in the sight of
in his master's eyes and served him. And he made Joseph the steward of his house and entrusted to him all
what he had. Even with the authority granted to him over the other servants, he did not seek to take
personal gain, using the position to pursue or mistreat someone, remained intact.
Gn. 39.7,10 shows that the wife of his lord tried hard to seduce him into breaking the law.
from God.7 - Thus, after some time, Potiphar's wife set her eyes on Joseph and said to him:
Come to bed with me. 10 - She spoke to José every day, but he didn’t listen to her,
refusing to go to bed with her and staying close to her. However, strengthened by grace and fear of
God, Joseph resisted the enemy's attacks and escaped the fall. Genesis 39:12. 12 - Then she caught him by the
clothes and said to her:—Come to bed with me. However, he, leaving the clothes in her hands, left,
fleeing outside. He did not compromise with sin, but in the face of evil, he retreated with determination and
wisdom.
Along with the temptation of sex, there was the temptation of money. Potiphar no longer knew
nothing of your finances, for everything was handed over to José, and he did not divert a single coin, nor did he...
an extra box for him, everything was faithfully bought, sold, negotiated, without fraud, without
corruption. Gn. 29.6,8.6a - Potiphar entrusted everything he had to Joseph, so that he did not
he was concerned with nothing but the bread he ate. 8 - However, he refused and said to the woman of
Your master: —Listen! My lord, do not worry about anything that exists in this house, because I
I am here; everything he has passed through my hands.
José chose to remain truthful before God rather than have an affair with his wife.
of your lord, and probably, in the future, plot the death of Potiphar, to be with the widow and everyone
the goods. José was arrested.

• In prison
Unjustly imprisoned, it didn't take long to gain the trust of the jailer and everyone
prisoners, and soon, he became a leader, to the point that the jailer entrusted him with the keys to the prison and the prisoners.
tell him dreams so that José could interpret them. Gn. 39. 20-23. 20 - And the owner of José took him and the
he was thrown into prison, in the place where the king's prisoners were confined; there Joseph remained in prison.
The Lord was with Joseph, he was kind to him and made him find favor in the eyes.
of the jailer. 22 - He entrusted to Joseph all the prisoners who were in the jail. And Joseph
did everything that should be done there. 23 - The jailer did not care about anything that had been
delivered into the hands of Joseph, because the Lord was with him, and everything he did the Lord
It prospered. In Genesis 40:20-23 we see the faithful fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of the dreams.
of the king's officials. On the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he gave a
banquet for all his servants. And, among them, he reinstated the chief cupbearer and condemned the baker.
chief. 21 - He reinstated the chief cupbearer in his position, in which he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand, 22 - But
he ordered the chief baker to be hanged, as Joseph had interpreted. 23 - However, the chief cupbearer did not...
remembered José; forgot about him.
 • In the palace - Before Pharaoh - The temptation of self-sufficiency
José was summoned to the palace to interpret the king's dream, and that is what happened. However, not
we see at no time him being arrogant about the 'gift' that God had given him, as if he himself
he was capable, and not empowered by God, as some do in our days. When Pharaoh praised him,
See how he answered, Gen. 41:15,16.15 - This one said to him: - I had a dream, and there is no one to interpret it.
However, I heard about you that when you hear a dream, you are able to interpret it.
16 - Joseph replied: It is not in me; but God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.
God honored Joseph for his integrity and strong character. Gen. 41:40-44
40 - You will be the administrator of my house, and all my people will obey your word.
Only on the throne will I be greater than you.
41 - And Pharaoh said to Joseph: - Behold, I appoint you in authority over all the land of
Egypt.
42 - Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's finger. He commanded that the
she dressed him in fine linen clothes and put a gold necklace around his neck.
43 - And he made him ride in his second chariot, and they cried out before him: "Bow down everyone!"
In this way, he gave him authority over all the land of Egypt.
44 - Pharaoh said to Joseph: 'I am Pharaoh, but without your order no one will be able to do anything.'
nothing in all the land of Egypt.

• Before your brothers

The moment of José's revenge has arrived. His brothers should pay for all the harm and
suffering caused to him. So see how he did: Gen. 45:1-4; 14,15.
1 - Then Joseph, unable to contain himself before all those who were with him, shouted:
Everyone left my presence! And no one was left with him, when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
brothers.
2 - And he raised his voice in weeping, so that the Egyptians heard it and also the house of
Pharaoh.
3 - And he said to his brothers: - I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? And his brothers did not respond to him.
they were able to respond, so scared that they became in front of him.
4 - And Joseph said to his brothers: 'Now come near to me.' And they came near. Then
he said:—I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt.
14 - E, throwing himself around the neck of Benjamin, his brother, he wept; and, embracing him, he wept.
also Benjamin.
15 - Joseph kissed all his brothers and wept over them; then his brothers spoke with him.
he.
The docility of this leader openly exposes insensitive and indifferent leaderships, intoxicated
by the power. The apostle Peter exhorts the leaders: "2 - Shepherd the flock of God that is among you,
not out of constraint, but spontaneously, as God wants; nor out of sordid greed, but
willingly; 3 - not as masters of what has been entrusted to you, but rather, becoming examples
of the flock”1 Peter 5:2,3.
Dominant leaders are completely devoid of love, compassion, and fear of God. In general, the
roughness used stems from weak figures that feel threatened, trying to impose themselves by
strength. These people tend to show reluctance to listen to others, are not teachable, and act
alone, as if they were the holders of the truth. That the figure of Joseph may be an inspiration for leading
To repentance, such sick men by power. Let us follow the example of integrity of Joseph.
 4. EMOTIONAL INTEGRITY
In general terms, we have a tendency to think that psychological and emotional problems are
caused only by sins, demonic action, having those who still think, in God's judgment, like the
Job's friends thought, but it's not quite like that.
Everyone is subject to spiritual, physical, and emotional problems. Many men of God
suffer from diabetes, heart problems, and even cancer. Now if we recognize that these devotees
brothers suffer from physical illnesses, why ignore emotional problems? We know, yes, that
Many emotional problems arise from unconfessed sins and from an action of the enemy.
But we should not generalize.
Paul writing to the Thessalonians in his first letter, writes: 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - The same
May the God of peace sanctify you in everything; and may your spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless.
irrepressible in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's it, we are a trichotomy, Spirit, Soul
And the Body. Thus, God takes care not only of one area of our existence. He cares for all of them.
Take care of the spirit, but also of the soul and the body.
God is interested in our spiritual, emotional, and physical life being balanced. That
may we have health in these three spheres of our life.
In Genesis 45:27, we find Joseph sending for his father to come to Egypt in order to save him.
he was hungry.27 - But when they told him everything that Joseph had said and when he saw the
the carts that Joseph had sent to take him to Egypt, the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived.
After the disappearance of José, Jacob, who was a man full of life, full of
experiences with God, was struck by a sadness so deep that it seemed that he himself had
dead. For approximately twenty-two years, Jacob, who saw angels of God, descending and ascending
Through a ladder, whose top reached the sky, was left without answers to its whys. Why God
allowed? Why didn't God protect? Why did I send it? Why was it like this? Why didn't I have
opportunity to see him after he died? Why didn't God allow me to bury my son?
Jacob no longer has joy. He speaks little, has become more fearful of losses. His house
it was your tomb, you didn't want to leave it, but when he hears about Joseph and sees the cars at his door
to take him from home to see his son, the Bible says he came back to life. Jacob was struck by healing.
emotional.
Many Christians think that the joyful and fervent worship services we participate in are sufficient.
to make us feel good emotionally. They help and they really do help, but the human warmth is
indispensable. God made us social beings, we need each other, especially family.
As a rule, leadership experiences enormous and constant tension, at home, in the Church, and in
society in general. A huge mental force in the effort to do everything right is produced, especially because,
The idea was created that the leader is someone spiritually perfect, as if they already lived in the body.
glorious, and also, did not suffer fatigue or emotions. The worst of it all is that many leaders
They internalized this to such an extent that even if they laugh out loud, they apologize for the transgression.
The worker needs to relax, unwind a little. He should go on a leisure trip,
provide moments of joy and many smiles with your family and friends. This eliminates a lot of
mental toxins. It makes life lighter and brings a sense of well-being.

In addition to prolonged sadness, as in the case of patriarch Jacob, other problems can affect
the emotional health of the worker includes anxiety, murmuring, bitterness, low self-esteem,
debts, guilt, doubts, among others.
One very important thing for the emotional integrity of the worker is to learn to forgive and
learn to ask for forgiveness, to anyone. Forgiveness is liberating.
 CONCLUSION
For the Lord's worker, who strives to live with integrity in a world where the
the corrupt seem favored, not to mention our battle against our own nature
sinful, is a challenge. The apostle Peter encourages us to remain upright, 1 Peter 3:13–18:
13- Now, who will harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 - But even if
come suffer for the sake of justice, you are blessed. Do not be afraid of the threats.
do not be anxious; 15 - on the contrary, sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts,
always being prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks for the reason for the hope that you have
16 - But do this with gentleness and respect, with a good conscience, so that in what ...
They speak ill of you, may those who defame the good conduct you have be ashamed.
Christ. 17 - Because, if it is the will of God, it is better for you to suffer for doing good.
for practicing evil. 18 - For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust
unjust, to lead you to God; dead, yes, in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
Therefore, living with integrity is to follow the example of Christ. And we can only live with
true integrity by His power, which He graciously and freely gives to all who are
Yours.

Pr. Luis Rios dos Santos

Leader of AD Vila Brasil
São Luis - MA
Addendum
What psychological and emotional problems may arise due to sins we agree upon.
fully, it can indeed be due to demonic action, but it is not usually the case, mainly for the
believer who is faithful. However, this is happening to many among us and a large part is not
seeks appropriate treatment for fear of being labeled as unfaithful believers in the Lord. John
Piper 2002 wrote a book called 'The Hidden Smile of God', in this book Piper tells the
the story of three great men of God,
John Bunyan (1628-1688) who wrote the most read book in the world after the Bible "The
"Pilgrim", this man spent twelve years in prison and had deep depression crises.
William Cowper, (1731-1800) known as the poet of a new religious revival, he
he composed wonderful hymns, but he suffered from terrible bouts of depression and tried to kill himself several times
times and spent his life being monitored to not execute his purpose and
David Brainerd (1718-1747) a great missionary among the red-skinned Indians in
United States who died of tuberculosis at the age of twenty-nine, a man of prayer and
intense love for souls and had such a premature death, Brainerd besides fighting with a
terrible tuberculosis was struggling with a depression that affected him periodically.
I confess that from the reading of this book I started to understand that psychological problems and
emotional issues and illnesses happen to many faithful believers even today. It is a fact that the Word of
God does not specifically address these problems with contemporary concepts and terms, but,
we cannot ignore them.