(Prov 22:1 BBE) A good name is more to be desired than great wealth, and to be respected is better than silver and gold.
This morning we continue our series entitled “Unlocking the Power of Proverbs – Walking in the Wisdom of God.” Here Solomon contrasts a good name with great wealth. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, however, many pursue money at all costs and they wind up tarnishing their name in the process. A tireless pursuit of money might net you the money, but it may cause you to lose the truly valuable things along the way. Countless people, Christian and non, have lost their families, their integrity, and even their health in a pursuit of the ‘so called’ almighty dollar. With that in mind Solomon teaches us about two areas that we should esteem above the pursuit of money:
1. To be well spoken of: My mother raised me as a single parent in Brooklyn, New York before marrying my stepfather. To say that we did not have much is an understatement, but what my mother lacked in her bank account she made up for, a thousand fold, in her good name. My mother taught me about things that are not talked about much today; things like: dignity, respect, integrity, and hard work. She taught me the value of a good name and she lived her instruction before my eyes. When adults saw me they did not see just me, they saw my mother. Most of the adults in my neighborhood did not even call me by my name. They called me, “Nelcida’s son;” and I never wanted to do anything that would dishonor her name. My mother’s name opened doors for me that I could not open. Her name got me jobs, food, and much favor. To this day I am still striving to live up the name that my mother has established. She now lives in the Dominican Republic and she is still very well spoken of and highly respected. Her financial statement looks much better today than it did back then, but her true riches are connected to her name and to all that she seeks to do for the less fortunate. My mother is a giver and she is known as such. Even when we were living on Welfare, using food stamps to buy groceries, and making sandwiches with the “beloved” government cheese, my mother was still committed to giving to those who had less than we did and to earning every penny honestly and earnestly. I honor my mother today, as I seek to do every day, and I am Godly thankful for her good name!
2. To be well beloved and respected: While you can’t please everybody and you don’t even necessarily have to try, if you walk upright before God and establish Godly relationships, you will be beloved and respected. My role in the military is to serve as a technical advisor to the senior leadership in the communications field. While I am fairly technical and I am thankful for what I know, I am convinced that my greatest contributions come because of the relationships that I have established and the respect the Father has blessed me to garner during my 20(+) year career. By the grace of God I can say that when I make a phone call and ask someone for assistance, the vast majority of the time the person on the other end of the phone goes out of his or her way to help me. Why? I believe it is because I enter every day seeking to help others. As Solomon explains here, it’s not always about money. Actually, in the military, it’s almost never about money, but if you can get to the point where you are beloved and respected, you will be able to do more than money could ever buy.
So what does this mean to you today? I think I’ve said already, so I will simply close with the Message Bible paraphrase of this verse: “A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.”
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for blessing me to build a great reputation. I protect my name with all diligence. I know that a good name can do what a check cannot. I also know that divine favor can do more in a minute than labor can do in a lifetime, therefore I seek to walk in Your favor daily. I ask You to favor me and my name today. As I seek to build and maintain a good reputation, help me to honor You Father in all that I do. And not only do I seek to honor You, but I also seek to connect with others. I build strong, sincere, and lasting relationships. I seek to BE a blessing to others and I know that others will be a blessing to me. I enter this day seeking to maintain a sterling reputation and to walk in a gracious spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper!
