You may have missed the news that I retired from my day job. It’s been 8 months since I walked out the doors for the last time of my Monday – Friday, 7:30-5:00, 9 days out of 10, 32-year employer. And I’m not going back. (No, I didn’t dust off my hands at the doorstep. I just smiled on the inside as I carried my box to my car.)

There were times when I didn’t conduct myself very well at work. I didn’t always bite my tongue. I wasn’t always the mild-mannered, kind, and considerate Steve I want to be. Colleagues and upper management pushed my buttons sometimes. Sure, this may be understandable, maybe even normal, but I’m not okay with that. I may not have been a model Christian at work, but I still want people to think good thoughts when they recall my name. I don’t want coworkers to remember me as the guy who stabbed them in the back to get ahead in my career, or who preferred to sit comfortably at the sidelines in my somewhat comfortable desk chair. (Yes, I have colleagues who have done that.)

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Imagine the next several posts as a series of fireside chats where we look back and look ahead. If you’re retired, congratulations. I hope you find this series encouraging. But I am writing for more than retirees. I hope all of you can relate as I share mostly about life in general. So, whether you’re retired, mid-career, or even in school, let’s think about who we are and the impact we have on those whom God placed in our midst.

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What comes to mind when people think about us? What image have our attitudes, interactions, and actions imprinted into their memories? What color is our name in their hearts?

What drives us when we’re at work? What about when we volunteer or do God’s work? For what do we strive? If it is to get more money, get ahead, get noticed, or get a bit of personal glory, we are not aligned with Solomon’s proverbs.

Let’s look at two of them one at a time. The first is our key verse in this post:

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

Proverbs 22:1

The word ‘good’ is not in the original Hebrew text, so it reads “a name is more desirable than great riches.” ‘Name,’ in the original language, implies honor, authority, or character. The contrary is to have no name, perhaps as if to be overlooked, unknown, or forgotten; but, worse, to be dishonorable or disgraceful.

I suppose most people want a good name, but it doesn’t come easily. We can’t buy it online and there is no membership card that grants us the privilege of bearing a good name. It only comes after consistent, honorable living – by maintaining good character insomuch that onlookers would say in their hearts, “He/she is a good person. I wish everyone were like him/her.” Are we remembered as model citizens and Christians? When we retire, will coworkers say:

Let’s look at another Proverb:

Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

Proverbs 25:6-7

In the first proverb, the threat to a good name is money, wealth, and material things. In this second proverb, Solomon warns against elevating ourselves in status or position. It’s about making ourselves look better than we are, including our attempts to look better than others even when we are not better at all. We’ve encountered people like that, haven’t we?

Here are a couple workplace examples:

• I once worked with a fellow on a project who didn’t know me. I didn’t need his help, but the way our organization was structured, I had to proceed with his recommendation and approval. When he first met me, he was friendly enough, but he wanted to know my position in the organization. It was an odd question, but I answered and our collaboration seemed fine. But on a couple subsequent occasions he asked the same question. He was compelled to establish his higher position and authority. As it turned out, his need for an elevated status hurt the project.

• I’ve also seen a colleague who lacked the skills for a job but, instead of owning up to his shortcomings, he carried himself as proficient and knowledgeable. He even had a way of pointing fingers at others when his mistakes caused issues. As a result, there were even more issues.

An ill-targeted focus on money, things, status, or position leaves us unsatisfied and the cost is significant. We adversely affect our relationship with other people and our effectiveness in carrying out God’s work (or any work). And instead of working towards a good name, we bring detriment to our reputation.

As backwards as this may sound, true wealth lies in:

• humility (Proverbs 22:4)
• justice (Proverbs 22:8)
• generosity (Proverbs 22:9, Proverbs 25:21-22)
• love and grace (Proverbs 22:11)

And true status lies in:

• purity (Proverbs 25:4-5)
• temperance, forgiveness, truthfulness, and honesty (Proverbs 25:8-12, 18, 23)
• trustworthiness and faithfulness (Proverbs 25:13-14, 19)
• patience, gentleness, empathy, and compassion (Proverbs 25:15, 20, 24, 25-26)
• moderation and contentment (Proverbs 25:16-17, 27)
• self-control (Proverbs 25:28)

There is great wealth in humility. It is the foundation of a thriving relationship with God and an honorable position in society.

Remember the example of our Savior:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests but
each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another,
have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Philippians 2:3-8

In humility, Jesus stepped into the lowly position of a servant. Though He was God, He gave Himself to die as a criminal. And how did God the Father respond?

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11

How much do we care about God and others? I hope we will favor them more than money, things, status, and position. Let’s continue to bear a good name or strive for a better name. May humble consistency and faithfulness be our friends and our pathway to a good name.

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If you want to dialog more about bearing a good name, feel free to leave a comment below or email me at authordlv@att.net.

Read more blog posts here.

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