Integrity Aligned with Calling

Integrity Aligned with Calling

by David Shrum

Growing up, the word integrity held a lot of gravity and was frequently convicting. It occurred to me as something you either had—which meant you were good—or something you lacked—and therefore were bad. The definition I heard the most for integrity was: “Doing what was right, even when nobody else was watching.” It’s a good definition. It’s the one I still here the most when I ask and I imagine it’s the one most of us walk around with on the day-to-day.

But I’ve come to believe that integrity goes much deeper than that.

I’ve found that I often go back to Biblical texts to find powerful stories of leadership—stories that show how individuals and teams can change the circumstances around them through clarity, courage, and deep conviction. I don't believe that you need to believe in the authenticity of the miraculous (though I do) to see the power derived from Scripture, and so I have found it a powerful place to reference.

One of the most compelling examples of leadership and integrity under pressure is Daniel and the Lion’s Den.

Daniel: Integrity in Exile

The story comes from the book of Daniel, chapter 6. Daniel, an exile from Judah, finds himself rising to positions of influence again and again, regardless of who is in power in Babylon. He continues to be elevated because of his clarity, wisdom, and faithfulness—though he always gives credit for that wisdom to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In chapter 6, Daniel is serving under King Darius, who is so impressed with him that he plans to make Daniel in charge of the entire kingdom of Babylon. But the political elite are not happy. They conspire against Daniel, appealing to Darius’ pride, and convince him to pass a law that forbids anyone from praying to any god or person other than the king for thirty days. The penalty? Death by lion.

Daniel, committed to his faith and daily practice of prayer, doesn’t change a thing. His enemies catch him in the act, present the evidence to Darius, and the king—though distressed—honors the law and sends Daniel into the lion’s den. A stone is placed at the entrance and sealed.

That night, the king is sleepless with worry. At dawn, he rushes to the den and cries out, unsure if he’ll hear anything but silence. But to his amazement, Daniel responds: “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

Daniel was the picture of integrity as I understood it growing up: doing the right thing even when no one was watching—even when your life was on the line.

But what’s just as powerful is what leads up to this moment.

Integrity Is a Muscle

Daniel didn’t develop integrity overnight. It was a way of life. It was a muscle he and his fellow exiles who I like to call the Three Amigos—Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah (a.k.a. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego)—had been strengthening for years.

In chapter 1, they ask to stay kosher, refusing to adopt Babylonian customs. In chapter 2, when Nebuchadnezzar demands an interpretation of a dream he won’t describe, Daniel seeks mercy from God and courageously provides the vision and meaning—making sure to credit God, not himself. Chapter 3 finds the Three Amigos refusing to bow down to an idol, even with their lives on the line. They boldly say, “Our God will save us—but even if He doesn’t, we still won’t bow.” They’re thrown into a furnace, and they walk out untouched—Scripture says they didn’t even smell like smoke.

These weren’t just moments of doing the “right” thing. These were moments of alignment—living in congruence with who they said they were and the God they were committed to serve.

Integrity as Wholeness

I believe Daniel and his friends understood that integrity goes deeper than moral behavior. It’s about alignment—alignment between your words, your actions, and the authentic you God created you to be.

Integrity can also be understood as wholeness. The word comes from the Latin integer, which refers to something whole or complete. Engineers say a bridge has integrity if it works the way a bridge should. A windshield has integrity if it holds up under pressure. A person has integrity when they are acting in alignment with the person they are committed to becoming.

So the real question becomes: What does “wholeness” look like in your life? Are your actions consistent with the vision and values you’ve declared?

Integrity as a Tool

When we stop viewing integrity solely through a moral lens we can begin seeing it also as a tool for alignment, it becomes something incredibly practical and powerful. It’s no longer about being “good” or “bad.” It’s about asking: Did I show up in alignment with who I’m becoming? Did I honor the commitments I made? Did my words and actions create the result I intended?

If the answer is yes—great.
If the answer is no—also great. Now you’ve got data. You’ve learned something that didn’t work, and that’s a win.

Integrity, then, isn’t just about judgment. It’s about workability. Is what I’m doing working for the life I’m committed to creating?

Four Truths About Integrity

1. Small things aren’t small.
The small commitments matter just as much as the big ones. Luke 16:10 says it best: “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much...” When you start letting small things slip, your mind will follow with justification. That’s when our calling begins to erode. Daniel and his friends could’ve quietly let go of their practices in Babylon. Nobody would’ve noticed—but they would have and they surely believed God would have. And it would’ve started a slow slide away from who they were called to be.

2. Your commitments can’t stay in your head.
Daniel’s commitment to God was visible. His friends knew it. His enemies knew it. In every chapter, they’re making their commitments together, out loud, in community. They supported one another in their integrity, and it created a culture of alignment and accountability. That kind of community matters. We need others who will call us forward.

3. Give it everything.
In Meta Performance coaching, we talk about committing like a mom. The strength and ferocity a mother displays to protect her child? That’s how we should approach our commitments. All of them. Deuteronomy 6 echoes this intensity: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength...” This isn’t halfway commitment. It’s everything you’ve got. Daniel and the Three Amigos understood this.

4. Your commitments flow from who you’re becoming.
They aren’t based on who you’ve been—they’re based on who you’re called to be. Daniel and his friends weren’t just keeping religious rules; they were embodying a future vision of God’s people in exile. And that integrity had ripple effects. At the end of chapter 6, Daniel prospers under King Cyrus—the same king who, in Ezra, sends the exiles home with resources to rebuild the Temple. That’s not an accident. That’s legacy.

The Invitation

Can we live lives like that today? I believe we can. What if everyone on your team lived with that level of integrity? What if even just a few did? How would your culture change? Your results? Your families?

What if you gave your commitments that kind of ferocity?

What is the thing that’s on your heart—the thing that scares you a little but pulls you forward with excitement? That’s the vision worth chasing. That’s where you’ll find the resolve of Daniel and his friends.

That’s where you’ll step into who you were created to be.

Whether you reach the summit or get thrown to the lions, it’s the only thing worth chasing.