Proverbs 22:1 ~ A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favor rather than silver and gold.
I finished reading a book that was more of a reminder than something new, but it was good nonetheless. It was a book on character by Andy Stanley called Louder Than Words . I honestly believe it was something that the Lord was directing me to read, because I have had innumerable opportunities to witness fallout on this very subject over the past 4 weeks. From professional situations to deeply personal wounds, so many of us battle the protection of our character on a daily basis. It has become so much in the forefront of my mind that I decided to do a bit of biblical digging on the issue myself.
Interestingly, I do not find the word "character" in the Bible, but another word that is much easier to grasp ~ 'name'. Many times it is found giving an identity to someone, such as which family they belong to or the tribe with which they are a part. Sometimes, a name gave authority. In Deuteronomy 18:20, the name of the Lord was given to prophets to speak His words, and when someone falsely claimed to declare something in His name, they died. It is also something so special that the Lord will give those who remain faithful until the end a uniquely special one (Rev 2:17). It is found 958 times in the KJV, and of that, 864 times it refers to name, reputation, fame, glory. That is how it is defined in the Proverbs verse quoted above and this is the one in which I am most interested.
While the definition includes the word 'reputation', I believe it is really something much bigger than that. You see, in our culture, a reputation can take a hit on a constant basis. The Internet alone makes it easy to spread rumor or lies in such a short amount of time and we often fail to discern the falsity and decide to believe it. We cannot control what someone says about us. However, we can control what sticks to us. That's where character counts...
It's in those moments of decision that seem so insignificant that can be the slippery slope to decimating your character and we all deal with them. Maybe for some, it's the way you dress. Shirt too low cut, skirt too short, jeans too tight. Pretty soon a pattern develops. Next thing you know, the tag "trashy", "easy", or others more graphic terms seem to be flowing out of others lips in describing who you are, not how you dress. Maybe for others it's the "harmless" white lie...adding minutes to your time card or skipping out early, 'borrowing' items from work, hiding the credit card bill so the spouse doesn't see the recent charges. Within a few times of telling the "harmless" untruth, the pattern is developed and you are given the name of liar where everything you do or say is questioned by someone. Maybe yet for others it's the relationships you've developed. You are "just friends" with a member of the opposite sex. What starts out as time hanging out together leads to longer periods of spending time alone with each other. While you may not be doing anything inappropriate, the longer this progresses, the more your character will be questioned. Chances are probably pretty high that one of two things will happen in this circumstance: either something inappropriate will happen or someone will get hurt and/or be angry. Or maybe it's the decision to make an excuse for failing to be a good friend/spouse/sibling/parent/child etc. Maybe you get so busy in your world that you fail to check into the world of another that you once cared about. Do you try to right the wrong prior to it falling apart or do you wait for the other person to make the move? When confronted, do you make an excuse or do you admit your failing? Do you make the one small step in the right direction? Maybe it's none of the above, but it's being a gossip or are you constantly causing strife among others?
Convicting stuff for certain. I know as I type on this difficult topic, the Lord is convicting me of areas that I have allowed to slip by when I must be obedient to Him and need to be making the tough choice on the most basic of details. We do need to sweat the small stuff, because therein lies the pattern of the big things. In all of these examples, it begins with one small, seemingly insignificant decision. A decision that you and I control.
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