Job 16-19 / 1 Corinthians 16 / Psalm 40:1-10 / Proverbs 22:1
I’ve talked before about our names in one of my Word of the Week entries. Our name meaning is filled with destiny and purpose, and I don’t believe our names are randomly chosen. I believe God places names on the hearts of our parents because He knows who He has purposed for us to be and the things He intends for us to accomplish.
A good name would also refer to our reputation which is something we must build over time. A good name is not something we automatically have; it is something we must work to earn. My husband has been a contractor since 2000 and it has taken him many years to build his reputation to the point that when his name is mentioned, many people know that he will do good work.
Whatever your industry or ministry, you must work hard to be honest, filled with integrity, kind and many other adjectives that would honor both yourself and the Name of Christ. We don’t work only for our own reputation; we also work for the reputation of Jesus in the earth. As followers of Jesus, we are upholding not only our own names, but also His Name.
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
Your good reputation takes time to build and cannot be done apart from intimate relationship with others, whether business or personal. If you do good work, that’s valuable, but if you make others feel wanted and valued, that is of more value to them and to God. Good work may also open the door for opportunities to share the message of the Gospel.
Therefore, always do good work, remembering that others are watching to be sure your character matches what you’ve spoken. Remember also that it is not what we say that carries weight; our actions carry weight in the eyes of those watching. If you say one thing and do another, the thing you do will be read as true or false.
Wealth, money, houses, farms, etc. are all blessings from God but if you have all that and cannot be trusted, what do you really have? To be esteemed means to have favor in the eyes of others. None of us wants wealth that comes with loneliness. I would rather have rich relationships along with having all my needs met than be wealthy beyond measure and live a solitary life.
No one truly wants to be alone, even the most extreme introvert craves human interaction. The only person who angrily states they want to always be alone is one who has been hurt and has not been able to forgive those who hurt her or him. Human kindness does more than fill our souls, it heals us in soul and body. We need that connection with others.
What can you do today to continue to build your good name? Or, if you’ve damaged your good name, what can you do to being the process of repairing your reputation? Ask God for your next steps and get to work right away! You will never regret building a good reputation.
