Whats in a Name

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.” So, wrote Solomon in Proverbs 22:1. The believers around the time of the early church were called Christians or “little Christs” in Antioch by the unbelievers of their day (Acts 11:26).  To the early church this was indeed a badge of great honor !  They had developed great testimonies by their daily walk with Him and it showed to everyone !!

Many young people I’ve talked to at Penn State have the main goal of making a lot of money. Sadly, that’s their focus.  Solomon had tons of money (literally) but he rightly understood there really is something better.  Sometimes though, we’d like to “fact check” him – wondering what it would be like to have oodles of cash ! Think of the good we could do with that little extra, right?  Think of how much more you can with a great reputation is what God’s saying because that will ALWAYS trump a fat bank account !

If you have strived as a Christian to be careful about your testimony and you regularly ask God’s help to walk in the Spirit not the flesh. If you have been careful about what you say and how you say it and when you blow it you humbly make things right then what you have in your life is of tremendous value !  A good reputation takes a while to build but is so worth it.  When you simply allow the Lord to work in your heart people see, yes, a great example but they also see a Great Person shining though YOU !  The value can be, and often is, souls drawn to Him, wrong faiths questioned, the right one validated.   Someone once said, “If people only knew about Jesus what they saw in you, how well would they know Him?”

So with all you do today and next week keep being a Christlike example. You may be out there striving to make money needed to make ends meet but don’t neglect to work on your testimony.   And don’t underestimate the power of a risen life either !   When you were saved you accepted His grace through faith, now its up to us as believers to prove His grace through works !!