Two months and 2 days till Christmas, how many of you have your shopping done? Anyone started yet? Thanksgiving is one month and 1 day away, has anyone gotten your free Turkey yet? OK, let’s get more serious, next week is Halloween, has anyone gotten their candy yet? You don’t want to wait too long because if you do you might become known as the house that gives out circus peanuts or bit-o-honey.
When I was growing up, I lived in a small beach community that only had a handful of year-round residents so we didn’t get to go trick or treating at a lot of homes. We would walk to the dozen or so people who lived there to get our little candy bar, but there was one house we couldn’t wait to go to. It was the best house at the beach and it wasn’t because it was all spooky and scary looking, it was because they gave out full size candy bars! They would invite us in and they had a plate with big full size candy bars and you got to choose which one you wanted. One year I remember they even had twinkies! I remember that because my mom never bought twinkies. It was like Christmas going to that house.
What kind of candy are you going to be known for this year? Full size bars? Fun sized bars but the good stuff? Generic knock offs? Or the worst yet… individual bags of candy corn. What are you known for at Halloween?
On a more serious note, what are you known for? When people hear your name, what do they think of? This month we are looking at Bible passages that show us how to experience a better life and each passage contains the word better. The first week we learned that a better life is found when we live in the presence of God. Better is one day in your courts, O God, than a thousand elsewhere.
The second week we learned that one handful with tranquility is better than two handfuls with toil and a chasing after the wind. Less of what doesn’t really matter in life is better because it makes room for what does matter. And last week we learned that wisdom is better than gold.
Today we are going to see that a better life is also experienced when we have a good name. Our better verse is from Proverbs 22.
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1.
A good name is better than gold or silver. You can have all the wealth and power of the world but if you don’t have a good name, if you don’t have a good reputation, your life will be filled with strife and conflict and stress. I’m sure we can all think of someone who is known for their wealth and power and yet doesn’t have a good name. No matter what side of the political aisle you are on, I’m sure that right now you can think of the name of someone with wealth and power but without a good name. They aren’t living a better life. At times it might look better from the outside but think of the stress and problems they face. A good name is better.
So what are you known for? What do people think of when they hear your name? Are you known for being honest and true to your word? Are you known for being a person filled with the fruit of God’s spirit, a person of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. If you are known for this spiritual fruit and if these things are truly part of your life, then you are experiencing a better life.
Now let’s be clear that having a good name doesn’t mean that we are perfect. There is no one who is perfect. There is no one who doesn’t fail at some point in living up to their good name. A good name doesn’t mean being perfect it does mean being willing to be perfected by the one who is perfect. A good name means being willing to be perfected by Jesus. It means striving to live as a follower of Jesus and always being willing to learn and grow and change when we need to. A good name means being humble enough to admit our mistakes, confess our sin, ask for forgiveness, and then keep going in faith. The apostle Paul said it this way,
It’s not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14
Part of having a good name is being willing to forget the past and push on to a better future. But why is a good name better? What are the benefits of a good name? Let me share three:
1. A good name instills confidence. Now you might think that I’m talking about instilling confidence in others, which a good name can do. A good name in business can instill confidence in others and in turn get you more customers. Maybe you are old enough to remember the lonely Maytag repairman. He was lonely because Maytag had a reputation for selling appliances that were well built. Their good name instilled confidence in others, but a good name can instill confidence in us and that can help us have a better life. Proverbs 10:9. Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
When we are living up to our good name, when we are walking with integrity, then we experience less anxiety. We aren’t afraid of being caught or found out. Have you ever replied to an email and been critical of someone or shared something about someone that wasn’t the most uplifting and kind. As soon as you hit send did you have that moment of terror wondering if you hit reply or reply all? Do you know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you say or do something out of frustration and then wonder who was around to hear it or watch your melt down? When we aren’t living up to our good name and walking with integrity, there is fear of being caught and then having to face the consequences. That’s not the better life.
The better life comes when we walk with integrity and have confidence that we are who people think we are.. Now again, none of us are perfect. At times we will say or do the wrong thing, but even in those moments we can live up to our good name. Will we admit our mistakes? Will we own up to what we have done and apologize. A good name means working to make things right and then pushing ahead once again. A good name can bring us confidence and peace because we know we are always doing our best and always asking for God’s help.
2. A good name can speak for us. A good name can help us experience a better life because it can go before us and open doors that can lead us to more opportunities and blessings. The author of many of the proverbs we find in the Bible is King Solomon. Solomon knew wisdom was better than gold so asked God for wisdom and God gave it to him. Solomon was known for his wisdom. His reputation as a wise man spoke for him and spread all over the world.
Because of his good name, the Queen of Sheba, which is in modern day Ethiopia, heard of his wisdom and came to Jerusalem to see for herself if he was truly a wise king. 2 Chronicles 9:5-6
The Queen said to King Solomon, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard.
Solomon’s name and reputation spoke for him and it opened doors that no one else could open. After seeing for herself how wise Solomon was, the Queen gave him huge amounts of gold and spices from her land. His good name brought blessing to Solomon and God’s people. It is often our good name that can provide us with opportunities that we would have no other way.
Several years ago I got a phone call from a couple who wanted to move their cub scout pack to Faith Church. Since they were moving from another UMC in the area, and that church was getting a new pastor, I encouraged them to stay and see how things went. A few months later I got another phone call from this couple asking if they could move their cub scout pack to Faith Church. They told me that the reason they wanted to move wasn’t because of problems at the other church as much as it was what Faith Church had to offer. They told me that Faith Church is known for serving the community and they wanted their scouts to see that and have opportunities to serve with us. I agreed and today we continue to be blessed by the presence of these cub scouts.
One of the reasons people continue to visit us and join our congregation is because we have a reputation for serving our community. We helped lay the foundation for the Faith Centre. We continue to feed hundreds of people on Christmas Day. We support missions here and around the world and this coming week we hope to bless a family in our own area who has come to inspire us. A good name opens doors. A good name speaks for us, it provides opportunities and blessings that might not come any other way. A good name brings a better life.
3. A good name can inspire others. Perhaps the person with the most revered name in the church, beside Jesus, is the Apostle Paul. The letters of Paul make up ⅓ of the New Testament and his name has inspired people all over all over the world. Paul didn’t use his good name and solid reputation to gain wealth or power, he used his good name to inspire others to follow Jesus. In his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul said, Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
I love that Paul didn’t use his good name to shine light on himself or to enrich himself, he used his good name as a follower of Jesus to inspire and invite others to follow Jesus. When we use our good name to point the way to Jesus, we not only bless others but we are experiencing the better life God wants for us.
Think of all the good names that have inspired people throughout history. Just hearing some of these names can be inspiring.
Rosa Parks. Dr. Martin Luther King. Billy Graham. Anne Frank. Mother Teresa. Nelson Mandela. Winston Churchill. Queen Elizabeth II. Ed and Joanne Foster. David DeGraff.
Wait… who? My guess is that you do not know the last few names I mentioned, but they are inspiring to me. Ed and JoAnn Foster were my youth leaders who inspired me to get more involved in the life of the church and to be the leader they believed I could be. They encouraged me, believed in me, and loved me in ways that helped me become who I am today. And David DeGraff was the man I mentioned a few weeks ago who taught me how to pray by praying with me. He is the one who didn’t tell me how to follow Jesus but showed me through his life. While he didn’t actually say it, everything in Dave’s life screamed, follow me as I follow Jesus, and I did. Because of Dave, I met Jesus. His name inspires me.
What names inspired you. Maybe it’s a grandparent who loved you unconditionally, or a Sunday School teacher who made you feel special. Maybe it’s a coach who saw more in you then you ever saw in yourself. Maybe it is a friend who is always there for you and still encourages you to be more than you think you can be. If you take notes, write down the name of someone who inspires you and reflect on what makes that name so important.
All of our names should be an inspiration to someone else. Like Paul we should say, follow me as I follow Jesus. Our good name should inspire people. I know you may be saying to yourself that you are just too bad to have a good name. In some sense we are all too bad, we are all sinners who fall short of God’s glory, but Jesus is too good. Jesus is too good to let our past define us. God forgives us. God cleanses us and God makes us into better people who can have a good name that can inspire others.
King David has a good name. He is known as a man after God’s own heart. But he also had an affair, conspired to have the husband of the women he slept with killed, and then tried to hide the entire thing from others. You might think his name would be too bad to be an inspiration, but his name does inspire and here’s why. David was confronted with his failure and said this, Psalm 51:1-13
The name of King David is an inspiration to those who know it because he reminds us that we can never fall beyond God’s grace and mercy. There is no sin that can separate us from the love of God and if we will repent, if we will turn to God and ask for mercy, God will give it. So no matter what your name says about you today, tomorrow it can be an inspiration because God is that good.
Next Sunday, Pastor David is going to lead a workshop called share. One of the rhythms of life that helps us have a faithful relationship with the world is knowing how to share our faith story with others. Just as each of us has a unique name that God can use to inspire others, each of us has a unique story that can be used to point people to Jesus. No matter what our story might be, God wants us to share it so that others can come to know and follow Jesus. We invite you to learn how to share you story and live into the goodness of your name.
Our faith story can inspire others. Our name can inspire others and if you are thinking that you need to do some work to get a good name, then let me share three ways to get a better name:
1. Surrender fully to God and live in his presence because Better is one day in your courts, O Lord, than a thousand elsewhere.
2. Don’t pursue the things of this world but instead take hold of things that ultimately matter because Better is one hand with tranquility then 2 hands with toil and a chasing after the wind.
3. Do all you can to get wisdom because Wisdom is better than gold and silver.
Seeking to live a better life will lead us to a good name and a good name is better than gold or silver. A good name inspires others, and a good name blesses others and brings us the better life.
Next Steps
A Good Name Is Better
Memorize this week’s better verse:
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1.
Why is having a good name so important?
• What are you known for?
• What do you want to be known for?
A Good Name Instills Confidence
• In what one area do you need to live with more integrity? How can you walk the walk this week?
• If you have failed in an area, how can you seek to make things right?
A Good Name Inspires Others
• What good name has inspired you and how?
• ____________________________________
• ____________________________________
• How would you like your name to inspire others?
• What do you need to do differently to be that inspiration?
If you don’t feel like you have a good name - get one:
1. Live in the presence of God. Better is one day in your courts, O Lord, than a thousand elsewhere.
2. Let go of things that don't matter and hold on to what does. Better is one hand with tranquility then 2 hands with toil and a chasing after the wind
3. Ask God for wisdom. Wisdom is better than gold and silver.
