What's in a name?

So this is very late, but last week's class brought up some very good points. The title of the session was "Making a Name for yourself at work." The post title was the question that Mr. Lewis opened with.

What's in a name? Scripture tells us "A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold." (Proverbs 22:1). The example used in the class was Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. He had integrity. He could be trusted to follow through, even if it was to his pain. He had a good name. A few other examples came to mind while I pondered this question. I read Little Britches a while back which is the story of Ralph Moody's childhood on a ranch in Colorado. One of the scenes from to book involved Ralph's father catching him in a lie. Ralph knew it was wrong, but had done it for expediency's sake. Ralph's father gave him the metaphor of a man's character being like his house. Every time he lies to get ahead, he's pulling boards down from the walls to keep the fire going. It might keep him warm for a while, but eventually he has no more house. 

Character. It's not something that's really talked much about anymore. At least I don't hear about its importance in my day to day life. But if you watch shows like Andy Griffith or read older books like the Little Britches series it often comes up. Usually it's the dad or an older man explaining its importance to one younger than himself. I can remember my grandfather talking about how you used to be able to go in and buy a car on a handshake. A man's word meant something. Matthew 5:37 states, "But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil." 

Given the importance of integrity, character and a good name Mr. Lewis went in to five ways to establish a name for yourself in the workplace. The first practice was to not only work, but work to be "really good" at something. If you can focus on something, and get good at it, you'll be in demand for your skills. Another way to establish your name is to be responsive to those above you and earn their trust. When your boss tells you he wants something done, he should know that he can trust you to do it to the best of your ability. "Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master." (Proverbs 25:13). A third way is to over deliver. Go above and beyond. See if you can't get that project done a day early. Strive for excellence. You can either work until it's "good enough" and still be a good worker, or, if you over deliver, your bosses will notice you even more. A fourth way to make your name at work is to be one who encourages others and a team builder. Management likes to know that their employees can work well together. The final practice Mr. Lewis gave was to always keep your word. 

He also gave two commitments to make to yourself to help establish your name. The first was to never lie or cheat. We were encouraged to always say "no" to any kind of deception. We can trust God to take care of us, even if it means a temporal financial problem. The other commitment was to avoid immorality at all costs. A man can build his character for years, but all it takes is one bad rumor to ruin it. If a man can be wise and avoid situations where rumors could spring up, his integrity can remain intact. The encouragement for these commitments was to decide now and not later. If you've already made the decision, then when a situation comes up you don't even need to think about it.  You can stand on the decision you've already made.

It was so encouraging to me to hear these guys commit now to these practices. Nowhere does Scripture guarantee that we will be wealthy, but following God's way of doing business will certainly be better for us in eternity than any temporal wealth we might get from following the example of the world. Lor