Proverbs 12:17 A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies.
John Wooden said “Your reputation is who people think you are, your character is who you really are.”
People don’t judge who we are, they judge who we’ve led them to believe we are.The more time and effort we put into making ourselves look great, the longer and harder the fall when the truth comes out. And eventually the truth comes out.
Here are some other reasons to have good character and not worry about our reputations:
1. God rewards character, not reputation. To care about your reputation means you care more about public opinion than the opinion of God. I notice that some of my friends who work endlessly on their reputations never really advance in life, love or their careers. People who work on their reputation “have their reward in full” meaning that God has no interest in rewarding them, but they will get people to be impressed by them and that’s about all they are going to get. This is the essence of “worldliness” even though it is wearing religious clothes. The worldly person gets their pleasure and redemption and religion from the world, a person who knows God doesn’t work for an human audience. Who cares what they think, honestly. Just do the right thing because it’s the right thing and let God reward you.
2. If you present yourself as better than you are, you can’t have intimacy. People who lie about who they really are are socially bankrupt, lonely, and have a string of bad relationships. Why? Because they can’t let people know them. They are too busy trying to win in some kind of “game.” Screw the game. Make friends. Settle for being medium great. You’re heart will thank you.
3. Tell the truth. There’s nothing more healing than living in the truth and presenting yourself as who you really are. It’s easier to sleep at night.
4. When you work on your character, you’re working on the stuff that happens when nobody is looking. This is infinitely more difficult than misleading and deceiving people. But it’s the stuff that really sets you apart. It’s the stuff God rewards.
What would your life look like if you stopped working on your reputation and started working on your character?
Some scripture backup about character, goodness and honesty
Proverbs 10:9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.
Proverbs 11:1 The Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty
Proverbs 11:3 A good man is guided by his honesty; The evil man is destroyed by his dishonesty.
Proverbs 11:5 good people I directed by their honesty; The wicked shall fall beneath their load of sins
Proverbs 12:2 The Lord blesses good man and condemns the wicked.
Proverbs 12:5 A good man is mine is filled with honest thoughts; and evil man is mine is crammed with lies.
Proverbs 12:13-14 lies will get Iman into travel, but honesty is it's own defense. Telling the truth gives a man great satisfaction, and Hardwork returns many blessings to him.
Proverbs 12:17 A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies.
Proverbs 12:19 Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.
