A Good Reputation

Choose a good reputation over great riches.

Proverbs 22:1

What is the most valuable thing in the world? One person might say gold, while another may say diamonds. One person values money, while another prefers jewels. A collector might value a rare coin more than anything else. If you ask some people what the most valuable thing in the world is, they may give an answer like family or friends. Those can’t be bought with money.

What you think is most valuable depends on its worth to you. Jewels, antiques, and coins may not mean much to you. What do you consider the most valuable? What do you want more than anything else? The things you choose may be really important, but they aren’t what is most important according to the wise King Solomon.

In the book of Proverbs, King Solomon says that a good reputation, or being respected for the type of person you are, is worth more than great riches. What people think of you is better than silver or gold. What people think of you is called your reputation.

What do people think when they hear your name? If someone mentions you to a teacher, does your teacher think about what a responsible and well-behaved student you are? Or does he or she think of you as someone who seeks attention in class with silly behavior? Does your church group leader think of you as someone who participates and is eager to grow spiritually or as someone who shows little interest? Do your parents think of you as the child who takes initiative in getting jobs done correctly and on time or as the one who disappears when there is work to do?

Reputations are earned over time by how you act and react, whether things are going well or are falling apart. Your character determines how you act. When people see those actions, they form a picture of you. A good reputation is worth more than money or the things it can buy. That’s because it shows who you really are.

Sometimes people can fool others by their actions and earn a reputation they aren’t worthy of, but God sees the heart and who a person really is.

List four words you think describe yourself. Then ask two friends, a teacher, and a parent (or any four people who vary in age and how they know you) to honestly name four words that describe you. Are any of the words the same as those you used? How do the words others listed compare with each other? How do they compare with your list? What do the words say about how others see you?