What’s a Good Name Worth to You?

A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Proverbs 22:1

In the late 1800s, the Louisiana State Lottery rose to prominence, as well as to infamy, as it was plagued with scandal after scandal when rumors and evidence surfaced that its leaders were illegally pocketing money.

So in an attempt to boost their credibility, the managers of the lottery approached an aging General Robert E. Lee to see if he would provide an endorsement. They promised that if he did, he would become rich.

In response, Lee straightened up and shouted, “Gentlemen, I lost my home in the war. I lost my fortune in the war. I lost everything except my name. My name is not for sale, and if you fellows don’t get out of here, I’ll break my crutch over your heads!”

What is the integrity of your name worth? As we look at leaders who’ve had major moral failures, their downfalls didn’t come about with one bad decision. Instead, it was small decisions over time, exchanging their integrity for something else, that ultimately brought them down.

Don’t trade in your good name. Instead, maintain your integrity in the small decisions each day. When you do, your good name will gain you a platform for sharing Christ with others!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God will help you make the daily decisions that will maintain your integrity and give you a platform to share Christ with others.

Questions for Thought

When you think about someone with a good name or reputation, who comes to mind?

What is it about that person that causes them to have a good name?