A Good Name

Be on the guard for your name! Our testimonies can be marred in a short period of time if we do some egregious thing.

A Good Name

"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
Loving favor rather than silver and gold."

(Proverbs 22:1)

While attending the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention earlier this month, I was blessed to see so many dear friends. What a blessing to have fellowship with God's people. The effort, energy, and cost it takes to attend the annual SBC meetings are worth it. As I mentioned yesterday, we are much stronger together. When we associate with and sacrifice for those who have the same convictions about Scripture and reaching the lost, we become a mighty force for the advancement of the Kingdom of God here on earth.

I was blessed and encouraged by some of the comments made to me at the convention. Men of God for whom I have much respect spoke words of life and blessings to me, and I am most grateful. One of those men was General Doug Carver. Carver served in the US Army for 38 years and retired as a decorated officer. He and his wife have been married 53 years! He is currently "the Executive Director of Chaplaincy and Federal Endorser for the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. An advocate for the freedom of religion and the liberty of conscience, he oversees the endorsement process, pastoral support, and professional development of over 3,300 Southern Baptist Chaplains who faithfully carry the Gospel of Jesus Christ into various institutional settings in the United States and around the world." (Source.)

General Carver waved at me while I was walking through the Exhibit Hall. He came to me and spoke some kind words of affirmation and encouragement to me. He does not know that my primary love language is words of affirmation. I responded to the general by saying that I can say the same thing about him, and then I quoted our verse for today's devotional: "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches."

Here is a picture of General Carver and me at the SBC:

Let me encourage you today to have a good name. How does one do that? It takes much time, consistency, and obedience over the years to have a good name or reputation. When people hear your name, you want them to say something along the lines that you are a strong man or woman of God or a person who walks closely with Jesus. Our testimonies can be marred in a short period of time if we do some egregious thing. Be on the guard for your name! Let us represent our Lord well in every circumstance of life.