When you hear Bill Clinton what’s the first thing you think of? Monica Lewinsky. What about Kobe Bryant? Or what comes to mind when you hear the name Michael Jackson? All of these men were very successful in their professions, however their reputations are carried with them everywhere they go. People tend to remember the bad personal mistakes rather than the good professional accomplishments.
"It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, 'There is a king in Judah.' And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together." Then I sent to him, saying, "No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done." But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah 6:6-9
Reputation is a powerful thing. It goes with us wherever we go. Nehemiah is being attacked. Those opposed to the wall he is building attack his reputation. Nehemiah has a choice at this point. He can clear his name and stop building or he can forget what people are saying and keep listening to God and complete the wall. He chose the latter.
What God thought was far more important to Nehemiah than what people thought. If what people thought of him was ruined because he was following God, then that would be okay with him. Can we say that? How many times has God come up in a conversation at work or school yet we said nothing because we were afraid of backlash? Has God ever prompted you to talk to someone and you refused? Have there been times when the popular thing went against your morals yet you didn’t stand for what was right?
What if we all could be labelled as people with integrity? Shouldn’t that be the reputation that we strive for?
God I pray that we would live to have a reputation of integrity. I pray that doing what is right and standing up for You will become more important to us than caring what people think.
