What You Need to Keep Things Real

[What You Need to Keep Things Real]( Current Teaching Series [The Keys to a Blessed Life]( [Listen to Today's Broadcast]( [What You Need to Keep Things Real]( By Rick Warren — 05/20/2023 [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9 (NIV) Cultures around the world are absolutely obsessed with appearance and image. They’re scooting by, they’re skimming, and they’re cheating. They’re not keeping their promises. They’re pretending to be someone they’re not. They don’t have integrity. In other words, they’re hypocrites. In ancient Greek culture, actors were referred to as hupokrites because they pretended to be someone else. It’s where we get the word “hypocrite.” When you act one way with one group of people and another way with another group of people, you’re being a modern-day hupokrites. You’re showing a lack of authenticity—a lack of integrity. But God wants you to be exactly who he made you to be, no matter who is watching. So how do you—as a follower of Jesus—keep it real when so many people are faking it? There’s only one way. You’ve got to care more about God’s approval than the approval of other people. That’s the only way you’ll ever become a person of integrity. If you care about what God thinks, you’re going to do the right thing. But if you care more about what other people think, you’re often going to do the wrong thing. Psalm 119:9 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word” (NIV). The only way to know what God approves of and what he thinks of you is by reading the Bible. You must stay in God’s Word! If you don’t, you will not have the strength and the stamina to live with integrity. If I don’t have a daily quiet time with God, if I miss it for even a few days, I notice it—and everyone else notices it—because I start getting cranky. If I didn’t stay connected to God through his Word, I would not have any spiritual power to clearly explain the Word of God to you. I would not have the strength to live with integrity. Living with integrity takes spiritual power because what is right is often unpopular. On your own, you’ll get tired trying to do the right thing, trying to be real, and trying to keep the right motives—so you need to be equipped and refreshed. Do you want to live as a person of integrity—someone who is the same no matter where you are or who you’re with? Then commit to spending daily time reading and studying the Bible, God’s Word. It’s the only place you’ll find the spiritual power you need. [PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>]( Talk It Over - How does reading God’s Word give you strength to live with integrity? - How have you experienced the value of memorizing Scripture? - What are some of God’s promises from the Bible that can encourage you when you need to make the right but unpopular choice? The post [What You Need to Keep Things Real]( appeared first on [Pastor Rick's Daily Hope](. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Email](mailto:?subject=I'd%20like%20to%20share%20a%20Daily%20Devotional%20from%20Pastor%20Rick%20with%20you&body= [Get The Keys to a Blessed Life Study Kit when you give a gift to support Daily Hope!]( Some say the key to the good life is health, others say material wealth—but what does God say? Find out in Pastor Rick’s dynamic Bible study, The Keys to a Blessed Life. This 6-session video plus workbook study reveals the secret to the abundant life God promises by exploring Jesus’ most well-known sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. Dive deep into the Beatitudes with Pastor Rick to discover the hopeful and purpose-filled life God has planned for you through messages like . . . • How God Blesses Broken Hearts • Your Ministry of Mercy • How to Reconcile a Relationship • Handling Opposition to Your Faith • And more! [LEARN MORE]( [Complete Audio Series (Purchase)]( Includes 8 full-length messages from Pastor Rick's series The Keys to a Blessed Life. [LEARN MORE]( [Series Summary]( Message 1: It Depends on Who You Depend On Message 2: How God Blesses Broken Hearts Message 3: The Strength of Gentleness Message 4: Why You Need to Stay Hungry Message 5: Your Ministry of Mercy Message 6: God Blesses a Heart of Integrity Message 7: How to Reconcile a Relationship Message 8: Handling Opposition to Your Faith [PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST]( Pastor Rick Warren [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Linkedin]( Enjoy today's devotional? Listen to Pastor Rick’s daily audio teaching at [PastorRick.com]( Did someone forward this devotional to you? [Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional.]( Rick Warren is the founding pastor of [Saddleback Church]( one of America’s largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller [The Purpose Driven Life](. His book [The Purpose Driven Church]( was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created [The PEACE Plan]( to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at [PastorRick.com](. © 2023 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. Sent to: {EMAIL} [Unsubscribe]( Pastor Rick's Daily Hope, 23182 Arroyo Vista, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688, United States