We have all heard about the minister who ran off with the church secretary or the church's money. For every minister who has a moral failure there are thousands who serve the Lord and their churches faithfully for a lifetime. Every minister must make sure he is not the one who falls.

Satan and those led by him sets traps for every man of God. He knows that if he can stop the field commander, the rest of the troops will scatter.

Years ago, ministers were some of the most trusted leaders in the community. That is not the case today. It is up to every minister to help restore a sense of integrity in the ministry.

Here are several key factors regarding integrity.

1. Be an honest man

A minister must be a man of his word. People will refuse to listen to those they do not trust. Therefore, a minister must make sure he has all the facts before he speaks. A key piece of advice was given by the Apostle Paul "Speak the truth in love". Both aspects are important-being truthful and being loving.

2. Work hard

Nothing takes the place of hard work. A wise man once said, "it is amazing how lucky I am when I work hard." It is difficult for a minister to live down a reputation of being lazy. The bivocational minister is usually not tempted to become lazy simply because he has too many demands upon his time to develop a lazy lifestyle.

3. Resist moral failure

Moral failure is probably the most difficult mistake for a minister to overcome. God may forgive you but the trust lost before people you serve is hard to regain. Paul's advice to the young preacher, Timothy, was to "flee youthful lust". It is a grave mistake to believe you are above temptation. Satan can design a trap just for you. Integrity is defined by who you are when no one is looking. Actually, the One who really counts is always looking.

4. Guard against the appearance of evil

A good reputation can be lost by what may be innocent but appears questionable. Everybody watches the minister. It is part of the territory of ministry. A minister would be wise to never get into a situation where his motives or actions are ever questioned. Something that helps prevent temptation and removes doubts about his actions is to make it clear to everyone that he loves his wife.

5. Be yourself

A simple but important part of having integrity as a minister is to be yourself. God made only one of you. Becoming all he intended you to be is your primary goal. Trying to be someone else will put you in bondage. "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" is true for everyone but especially for a minister.

Ray Gilder is the Bivocational Ministries Specialist at the Tennesee Baptist Convention and is also a bivocational pastor.