Someone has said that what people say behind your back is really your reputation. “Reputation” is a word describing how you are perceived in the eyes of those with whom you live and work and play and worship. Being a banker, I meet a great number of very interesting people. I particularly remember a man in our community who professed his Christianity rather loudly. However, his name has been synonymous with greed and avarice. He’s had a reputation for being money-hungry. He’s had a name for seeing dollar signs in most any situation. And wherever he has done business, he has haggled over the price. He gives sob-stories of how rough things are for him financially. When deals have been consummated, the proprietor or store manager has usually come out at the “short end of the stick.”
Some time ago this particular man was in my office, and after finishing his business we got to chatting. He wondered how many brothers and sisters I had. I told him I’m the second oldest in a family of six. “And what about your wife?” he queried. “How many were in her family?” “Well,” I responded, “she’s the youngest in a family of eight.” The man was silent for a moment, and then with a twinkle in his eye said, “Well, at least she’s got the financial advantage!” I didn’t know what he was talking about, and must have looked at him rather blankly, because he said, “You know, as the youngest, she won’t have to wait as long for her inheritance!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I thought to myself, Friend, does a family mean no more to you than what you’ll inherit, no more than what you’ll get out of it financially?
On at least two occasions Solomon addressed the matter of earning and maintaining a good reputation. He wrote, “A good name is better than precious ointment” (Ecclesiastes 7:1); and “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Proverbs 22:1). As followers of Christ, we need to be challenged to guard our names and reputations as we would a precious jewel! To achieve that, our goal needs to be consistent, upright, holy living day after day. One sage wrote, “A good name is the sum total of many ORDINARY days lived CONSISTENTLY and WELL!” And I would agree.
January/February 1987