| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “The power of words” Our Bible verse for today: “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1 (NIV) Our thought for today: “Enhance their reputation” In yesterday’s devotional I called your attention to Paul’s kind words about his friend and ministry partner Tychius (Colossians 4:7-8). I told you I believe that in addition to writing those words about Tychicus, he probably also said those or similar words directly to Tychius (and probably on more than one occasion). I believe that because Paul was a great encourager of others. He frequently commended them and built them up. The focus of that devotional message was all about saying nice things directly to the person. Today I want us to think about saying nice things about a person to others. That is primarily what Paul was doing with respect to Tychicus, and it’s what Solomon was referring to in Proverbs 22:1. In that verse Solomon was writing about reputation – what other people believe to be true about you, and he reminds us of how valuable a good reputation is. But where does a good reputation come from? How do we acquire one and how do we keep it? It comes first from how we conduct ourselves. If you are a man or woman of good character, a person of honesty and integrity, someone who can be counted to keep your word and to fulfill your promises; if you are a kind and compassionate person who serves others with grace and mercy, those things will gradually become known about you and that will be your reputation with others. But the thing about a reputation is that it gets talked about. Good or bad, people talk to each other about what they believe to be true about someone else. That being the case, what others say about you matters because it will go a long way towards determining what your reputation is with them. Sometimes dishonest people say malicious things that are not true. That is concerning – but not overly so. You don’t have to worry too much about that because in the long run, it’s your conduct that will tell the true story and everyone will know it to be so by simply observing you, and they will comment on it to others. Our conduct establishes our reputation. It is then enhanced when people talk about it among themselves. We can help to bolster someone’s reputation by doing the thing that Paul often did – singing the praises of someone who deserves to be commended. Whose reputation can you bolster today by pointing out their positive attributes to others? I encourage you to do it. There is power in those words. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville |
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