A Good Name

Chuckle: The five year-old asked her preacher dad why he bowed his head before preaching. "Well, Honey," he said, "I'm asking God to help me preach a good sermon." "How come He doesn't answer you?" she asked.

Daily Quote: "The invisible thing called 'GOOD NAME' is made up of the breath of numbers that speak well of you." --Lord Halifax

"A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold" (Proverbs 22:1 NIV).

Our good or bad name, or reputation, has as its source the choices we make and the ensuing actions those choices produce. Each waking moment of every day, we are confronted with situations requiring decisions that will impact our lives either positively or negatively in the eyes of those who know us and through whom our reputations are established.

Of course, the choice with eternal consequences is what you decide to do when confronted with the truth of God's love and His plan for the salvation of your eternal soul through faith in Jesus Christ. Once you decide to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and begin your walk of faith with Him, important life decisions must continue to be made every day.

As we travel down the road of faith, we find it has many forks. At each fork in the road, the decision you make will help determine your reputation as a Christian. Robert H. Schuler put it this way: "At each fork in the road, we should ask this question. 'Where do I want to go?' 'Which road will take me there?' Be careful which road you choose."

Our passage provides important guidance for making life's decisions by placing relative values on the outcomes. "A good name is more desirable than great riches." But we know our modern society tends to view the accumulation of wealth as the true measure of success. That's why it is so important to ask this question, "where do I really want to go in this life and what is the best decision to take me there?" Does the desire to please God and have a good name drive your decisions, or does the desire for personal gain trump any concern for God's will or your good name?

My last daily quote speaks powerfully to me at this point. "Each of us will one day be judged by our standard of life -- not by our standard of living; by our measure of giving -- not by our measure of wealth; by our simple goodness -- not by our seeming greatness." --William Arthur Ward

Today, each of us will make many choices and decisions, some of which will seem relatively insignificant while others may determine your entire future. Often, concern for one's good name is sacrificed on the altars of self-centeredness and self-gratification. Consequently, as a Christian, each decision should be made prayerfully and with great care. The choices we make reveal our true character. "Your ideal is what you wish you were. Your reputation is what people think you are. Your character is what you are."

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse