I would love to discuss a pertinent matter that is so dear to me, I am certain it will be of great help to someone. It will also be important to state that I will be making references from the good book (bible) for clarity purposes.
Its natural for a human to celebrate the result more than the process; it is more common to celebrate one who has achieved a conspicuous height than one who is still trying to find their footing. We are in a time when character and integrity matter less than ill-gotten affluence. Truth be told, the result is what everyone wishes to know. The story behind your result is what determines the kind of people who believes in your result.
Your uprightness in this era speaks little or probably goes unnoticed when you are not meeting the daily need of men. But there is something about uprightness that cant is neglected.
Psalm 112:4 exhorted that "even in darkness light dawns for the upright".
This implies that an upright man can't be stranded, no matter what situation s/he faces. Light always shines in their path to help them navigate complications that can lead to being stranded.
Who is an upright man?
In simple terms, an upright man is honest and attracts honor for it. There is an honor attached to being upright. This honor starts from having self-confidence and fulfillment, clear conscience and boldness, trust, and followers. Even when everyone objects to their opinion, the test of time will reveal its authenticity. On the other hand, an upright man operates in sincerity and is void of ambiguity or conflict of truth. They don't mince words to soothe the pleasure of men, but rather to establish the truth.
Drawing light from the good book, we can unanimously agree that the upright is commonly referred to "righteous" and "honest" man. They don't stumble on the way. That doesn't mean they don't have difficulties, tough or rough days. But somehow they find a way to scale through.
The good book in Proverbs 11:3 said that the integrity of the upright guides them.
Their honor serves as a light that guides their path. No matter how frustrating the journey is, Light always shines in the path of an upright man. Light can be direction, Ideas, help, discernment, etc.
I know this is difficult to accept in this era where it seems like evil prevails over good. Smartness to people is the ability to manipulate evil in your favor despite who bears the burden of the loss as far as you stand in to gain, no matter the cost. Let me burst your bubble, Integrity still pays and pays well.
An upright man finds satisfaction in the little he earns and is very skillful in increasing it. Being upright is not equal to poverty or being broke. It is the act of diligently working progressively in all sincerity and integrity. Hard work spiced with righteousness and honesty is of great reward. There can never be a dark season that won't be lightening up.
From the descriptions above we can agree that an upright man is "honest to work", "honest to intent", and "honest to result". In summary, we will discuss these three key points before we conclude.
Honest to work
Work is a priority to success. Work is a way out of the lurch. It has a way of creating a steady path to purpose and assertion to result. No man climbs a ladder of success with folded hands; both hands must be gainfully active at work. The hands refer to the totality of one's system. One thing I have learned about work is that it always pays. If it doesn't pay as an output or results, it pays as an experience gained because; consistent effort towards productivity has a way of shaping one's attitude, thinking, and expression. It easily separates one from the crowd. It builds you and reflects not just on you, but people around you. Commitment to work has a contagious effect.
An upright man is honest in work and does not accept or run with a general view. They have a way of manipulating or maneuvering ideas that stand them out. Their minds are always engaged in creativity.
They might not be recognized immediately, but they can never be stranded.
In proverbs 22:29, the good book made it clear that one who is diligent to work will stand, attend and serve only the kings.
What they attract are excellence and outstanding personalities. Though not every diligent effort affords you such a privilege, it must be honest, tested, and true. Yes, there can be honest and dishonest work, and the result will answer that.
Honest work ought to be noble, honorable, and goodly demanded. It seeks the good of the people. It is people-centered and oriented. It makes you good before the people. It is not an attempt to please the people, but rather an effort to be honorable and maintain trust and acceptance. Human is willing to pay for durability and long-term satisfaction.
An honest man to work should be able to boldly and proudly answer these questions "what am I doing", "What is the impact of my work", "who is benefiting", "what am I benefiting" and "What kind of people does it attract", "what does it say of/about me" "are there consequences attached to my work"?
Upright men to work are true to who they say they are. They value their words. They deliver as when due and engage in healthy competition when required. Who is doing what they are doing is not much of their concern; rather they creatively become the best and most sought-after. They are interested in what hasn't been done that need to be done.
They are proud of what they engage in. They equate value with effort and impact to investment instead of the other way around. They don't joke with profit but are more concerned about integrity. They are Keen to evaluate and critique for growth.
They are consistent to work.
They remain productive at work.
They are focused and understand their path.
They are navigators.
They can't be stranded.
Honest to Intent.
Upright men don't dangle in their decision-making. They start with clarity of purpose and goal. These purposes and intent are transparent enough to earn the confidence of their clients to themselves. They know their target audience and understand how much they need the value they are creating or want to create. That is the first step. Before the upright engages to work, they think through to answer the question WHY? If the answer to the WHY creates a dent in their integrity, they retreat and re-plan.
Most times profit (financial gain) shouldn't just be the benchmark of a successful business or project. What about the profit of impact, trust, collaboration, continuity, friendship, relief, etc? These should also form the core of your thought line in creating a business or embarking on that project or leadership. What other fulfillment can your service create for you apart from financial profit? Any outcome you are creating that doesn't end in enlarging you and helping others to become better is a disaster. You have become a Process that needs to be dealt with.
Don't get me wrong. Am not saying we all should turn to charity agents because we want to be branded upright. Am not also saying you should price your product less than is meant to. No! That is not my opinion. The point is that an upright thinks of the good of his client first before creating the business. You can price your product as high as you want, but beyond enriching your pocket, what quality of value does it create for your clients?
Even in a leadership career, this same process is required in making decisions and passing approval on them. An upright man thinks of the good of his business (work, services, leadership, ministry, etc.) Thinks of the value s/he is offering, thinks of him/herself that offers the value, and most importantly the good of those who benefit from their services.
Let me be clear on this, we should know that no matter how innocent or sincere your intentions are, not everyone will see it that way. Your good plans can be misunderstood sometimes, but my concern is your evaluation. What is the answer to your WHY? That is what keeps you going. Though you might not get everyone's approval, your benefactors are singing your praise. You will soon have ALL the approval you need. That is the benefit of uprightness.
I enjoin us not to be industrious in wicked plans, revenge, and a self-centered project. We all need money, but I think integrity will earn us more than we imagine.
Think through that idea first.
Define the purpose clearly.
State the benefits.
Honest to Result.
All our toil, efforts, work, and investments are for a rewarding result. Everyone expects a better outcome. We always want an output that is greater or commensurate with our input. Even those who didn't contribute much to success desire success. Good results are the most-sort commodity in life. Everyone wants a result, everyone wants a reward, and everyone wants to create a story that is profiting.
The result is the end product of an effort or work done. It is a constant factor, it keeps reflecting. Whether we are working or not, with time results will show.
One attribute of an upright person is that s/he is intentional about results, but not yoked to them. They gain satisfaction before the end product. If your satisfaction is just on the result only, you might be disappointed when the result does not measure up with your effort and input. The point I am trying to make is that an upright person pays keen attention to the process than just the outcome. They start recording their results as they transit from intent to work and then to the output.
At this point, they try to answer the question of HOW? In finding an answer to how they will find most of their satisfaction. The bridge between the INTENT and the OUTCOME lays millions of opportunities, unscratched processes, and ideas. They are not stereotyped, they are open to opportunities. They believe in multiple streams and sources. They are flexible and adapt to productive opportunities.
How does honesty come in here?
They are sincere in success. They are sincere in partnership and collaboration. They are sincere in evaluation. They surround themselves with positive minds. They don't fabricate results; they are not afraid of failure. They have their interest more in the "process than the result". The experience gained in the process contributes a greater part to their satisfaction. They gain joy in helping others go through that experience. They want to multiply themselves in many. The result to them is seeing others gaining success in the experience that helps them through.
Tell me how they can be stranded.
Summary
An upright man is satisfied in a work well done. They earn satisfaction from seeing others doing well. They can answer the question of WHAT (work), WHY (intent), and HOW (Process). What are you doing? Why are you doing it? How are you doing it?
An upright person is not lazy. Experience means a lot to them.