What’s In a Name?

30 Then the princes of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.
1 Samuel 18:30

1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.
Proverbs 22:1

1 A good name is better than precious ointment.
Ecclesiastes 7:1

22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.”
Acts 10:22

2 He [Timothy] was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.
Acts 16:2

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there.
Acts 22:12

12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself.
3 John 1:12

What's in a name? Look at Proverbs 22:1. A good name is better than great riches!

Things have certainly turned around in our culture today, haven't they? In our culture, great riches are everything! How many times do you think, "If I could just win the lottery, everything would be great."?

As a Christian, we must always look to the Bible for truth; our good name is worth more than all of the riches in the world. After this life is over, the rich man will not be able to take his riches with him, but a good name follows you forever!

Does that mean that being good is all it takes to get to heaven? To think that is to misunderstand the meaning of a good name. Christians should only be concerned with what God thinks; we can never have a good name in and of ourselves. Only when our heart is truly changed by Christ can we begin to have a good name. A good name comes from obedience to God and what is revealed in His Word.

Does a good name really have any impact on this life? Yes, it does; people watch you all of the time, especially if they know that you are a Christian. When they see your reaction under adverse conditions, they become interested in how you can face life with such peace and calmness. God uses our good name to reach others for Christ.

What's in a name? Pray that God will bless you and give you a good name that is untarnished from the prevailing sins of the people around you. Is your name tarnished? Pray that God would forgive you and that He will restore your name for His glory alone.