A Good Name or Riches?

September 05, 2021

Proverbs 22:1-2

A Good Name or Riches?

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” - Proverbs 22:1-2

What is your standard of judgement? Think about it. We all have our standards, the means by which we assess people—whether they are good, bad, successful, interesting, etc. Sadly, man’s methodologies for judgement rarely, if ever, align with the Lord’s methodology of judgement. As Jesus said over and over again, man judges by the outside while God looks at the heart.

One of the most prominent means of judgement in the world today is based on a person’s wealth. We assume the wealthier one is, the more successful he must be. Often those deemed successful are the ones revered by the world. The Lord challenges us to a different means of living and judging. As opposed to seeking wealth and success, the Lord calls his people to choose integrity, righteousness, and faithfulness. It is those people that the Lord delights in and blesses with things much greater than gold or silver.

What we probably should ask ourselves at this point is, what does it look like to choose integrity, to choose righteousness, and to choose faithfulness? An easy answer to these questions is to look to the life of Jesus. People were always more important to Jesus than money. Jesus never worried about having what he needed in the way of physical provision. Instead, he entrusted his care to the heavenly Father. Beyond that, Jesus, though tempted in every way that we are tempted, didn’t gratify his fleshly desires but always sought to do the will of his Father. The trust, obedience, and love Jesus demonstrated towards people and the Father enabled him to live the perfect life.

While we are not capable of living that perfect life of Jesus, we are capable and called to continue to pursue that kind of faithfulness, obedience, and love. It begins with loving God with all our hearts then loving our neighbors as ourselves. Then, we can see others as the Lord sees. In truly seeing them, it is quite likely we will not judge them, for we will see they are just as we are – sinners in need of a Savior!!

God is the maker of all that is. Every one of us is made in his image and entrusted with a great calling – to live as Jesus lived, to love as Jesus loved, and to build his kingdom upon the earth. Whether rich or poor, may the Lord find us faithful!

Reflection:
In what ways do you find yourself judging others? How can you surrender your judgements to embrace the mindset of Jesus Christ? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Related Resource:

In our six-week small group Bible study on the book of 1 John, you are invited to live and celebrate true life in Christ. Throughout his first letter, John wrestles with the assurance of salvation. How do we know that we are genuine Christians, and how can we recognize authentic faith in others? The Apostle John taught that you can enjoy full assurance through believing in the incarnate Son of God, walking in the light of obedience, and loving God and his children. Embark on this study with us today!