Integrity is one of the key characteristics we must have as dads and husbands.

But where do you get it? By what standard do you measure yourself, and by extension, your kids, as they grow?

Integrity must be based upon some kind of standard, or it becomes meaningless.

I have heard it said that everyone has a god, it’s just a question of which god. Even those who claim not to believe in a god submit to something in their lives as greater than themselves, whether that is materialism, humanism, or some form of worship.

Most dads, however, never really consider this reality. They live their lives as if nothing really matters, and nothing is more important than themselves.

But in order to be rooted on a morally strong foundation, we must consider this question. And, perhaps more importantly, in order to teach our sons and daughters how to live rightly, we must have a foundation upon which to stand.

That foundation can come only from the God of the Bible, who came to earth as Jesus Christ. Only he can provide the answer to the moral dilemma. Only he can provide the foundation to live rightly. Only he can give us what is needed to live in such a manner, and to pass that on to our children.

Jesus Christ gives us something to be anchored to. He gives us a reason for making decisions of integrity.

Here are four brief reasons your kids need to see you living a life of integrity:

They will respect you more.  Your kids may not always understand why you do and say the things you do. They may not agree with you. But they will learn to respect your input and decisions, because they see you living what you say.

They will learn to trust you.  When you live with integrity, your kids will know that they can trust you, and talk to you. They know that you have their best interests at heart, and that you genuinely love them.

They will learn to be responsible.  If you always do the right thing, your kids will see that and learn to do the right thing as well. That shows that they are responsible enough for more and more responsibilities and privileges as they grow.

They will learn authenticity.  You, and your kids, will be comfortable living life. When you have integrity, you do not need to look over your shoulder to see if anyone saw what you have done. You can feel good about the way you live your life, and so can your kids.

It’s been said that we should live our lives so that when someone says something bad about us, no one will believe it. That’s about as good a definition as I can think of when it comes to integrity.

But the reason behind why we live with integrity is that we are rooted morally, and righteously, in Christ. He provides the strength we need to live in such a way that our kids will be proud to call us “Dad.”

And, as an aside, these reasons are all applicable to your relationship with your wife, too.

So, dads, be men of integrity. You family depends on you.

Be deliberate, Dad!

Upon what are you rooted morally? You can leave your thoughts in the comments by clicking here.