Biodegradable Reputation

Read Proverbs 10

We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away.

Proverbs 10:7

The people in Old Testament times had a high regard for the value of a person’s name. Names carried with them special significance. In a culture of verbal agreements, where a promise carried the weight of a binding contract, a person’s name represented his character.

Certain names remind us of people long dead who have left an indelible mark on history, or on us. Other names receive mention only when they serve to illustrate a negative lesson. The first group seems to grow in value over the years, but the second seems to fade, or as the text says, “rots away.” The application of this proverb becomes a pointed question about life: What will the mention of our names bring to people’s minds after we have died?

A WORD FOR TODAY

Leave a godly legacy.

Dear Lord, thank you for the people who give me happy memories. Allow me to keep their example in mind as I live my life.