More Important Than Riches

More Important Than Riches

Q: What should you choose over great riches?

• a. a good education
• b. a healthy body
• c. a good reputation

Forbes magazine, a business magazine for adults, publishes a list of the 400 richest people in America. Each of those have a net worth in the billions, with Bill Gates topping the list at $66 billion. That means all his money, property, and investments added together, minus any debts, are in the billions.

The Bible says there is something you should want more than money and wealth. What is it? A good reputation. While your true character is who you really are, your reputation is how others see you or judge you based on what they see in your life.

The best thing is for people’s true character and their reputation to match, but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes people can appear to be honest, dependable, and caring, but it’s all a show. Inside they are deceitful and selfish.

As a Christian, you should have both godly character and a good reputation. God is the true judge of your character, and he knows what you really are in your heart. But how others see you makes a difference too. If you tell others you are a Christian but have a reputation of being deceitful or of having a bad temper, people will not take your faith very seriously. Ask God to help you be a person of godly character and to let it shine through for others to see.

For You

Does your character as well as your reputation please God? If not, what changes do you need to make?

Answer: c

Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.   Proverbs 22:1

(The Whole Story: Proverbs 22)