Proverbs 22:1 states, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold". How's your reputation? When people see you or hear your name, what comes to their mind? Are those at the office going to think something totally different than those at church? How about the people that only see you from a distance, what do they see? Part of growing each day as a Christian is to grow more and more like Christ: to strive to walk and talk like He did, to point others to the cross, and to live as an example of what a Christian should be. As I read Proverbs 22 this morning, the first verse really stuck out in my mind. My two favorite words in the first verse are desirable and esteemed. One speaks of your character, the other of your reputation. We should desire a good name. What does this mean? The word desire is defined as "the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state". It is a level of unrest, of discontentment. It is that daily realization that we still have a long way to go. In other words, every day should leave us longing for yet a closer relationship with the Lord, a more intimate walk with Him. You see, we can not build a good name for ourselves. Oh, we can live good moral lives, help our neighbors, etc., but it is only when we are striving to promote His Name that we begin to grow Spiritually. So for us a Christians, it should be our desire that others see Christ in us, and that His Name is honored in all that we do. That is where the word esteemed comes into the picture. The words means "to have an illustrious, respected reputation". When others see us, they should not desire to be like us, but to be like Christ. In other words, our lives should point people directly to the cross. When we live for Jesus, others notice and more importantly, others desire that relationship. And thus, a good name, character, integrity: They should draw us to Christ, and shine for Him to others. Make sure your name and reputation is worthy of the price Jesus paid to redeem it.
