What will people remember about you long after you’re gone? Will they remember your bank account, the many possessions you own, or the kind of person you were? Proverbs 22:1 highlights a timeless truth: while wealth can be fleeting, a good reputation endures across time and circumstances.
There are many things in this world that material riches can help us do; not all of them are bad. Many great and good things can and should be done with our riches. However, when we are gone, the respect and trust that was earned through our honesty and kindness, that help build meaningful relationships could be passed down through the generations. Ecclesiastes 7:1 echoes this sentiment: “A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth.” Why? Because a life lived with integrity leaves a legacy that outlasts worldly possessions.
As a Christian, what are you living for? This is the real question that we need to be asking ourselves. If you are living in a way that builds a good name, not just for yourself, but for Christians everywhere, then we are building the next generation to come to see and glorify God in their lives and to leave a good name for themselves as well.
Joshua Schutkowski