Scripture
1Choose a good reputation over great riches;
being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
2The rich and poor have this in common:
The Lord made them both.
3A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions.
The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
4True humility and fear of the Lord
lead to riches, honor, and long life.
5Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
whoever values life will avoid it.
6Direct your children onto the right path,
and when they are older, they will not leave it.
7Just as the rich rule the poor,
so the borrower is servant to the lender.
8Those who plant injustice will harvest disaster,
and their reign of terror will come to an end.[1]
9Blessed are those who are generous,
because they feed the poor.
10Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
Quarrels and insults will disappear.
11Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
will have the king as a friend.
12The Lord preserves those with knowledge,
but he ruins the plans of the treacherous.
13The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there!
If I go outside, I might be killed!”
14The mouth of an immoral woman is a dangerous trap;
those who make the Lord angry will fall into it.
15A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness,
but physical discipline will drive it far away.
16A person who gets ahead by oppressing the poor
or by showering gifts on the rich will end in poverty.
Sayings of the Wise
17Listen to the words of the wise;
apply your heart to my instruction.
18For it is good to keep these sayings in your heart
and always ready on your lips.
19I am teaching you today—yes, you—
so you will trust in the Lord.
20I have written thirty sayings[2] for you,
filled with advice and knowledge.
21In this way, you may know the truth
and take an accurate report to those who sent you.
22Don’t rob the poor just because you can,
or exploit the needy in court.
23For the Lord is their defender.
He will ruin anyone who ruins them.
24Don’t befriend angry people
or associate with hot-tempered people,
25or you will learn to be like them
and endanger your soul.
26Don’t agree to guarantee another person’s debt
or put up security for someone else.
27If you can’t pay it,
even your bed will be snatched from under you.
28Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers
set up by previous generations.
29Do you see any truly competent workers?
They will serve kings
rather than working for ordinary people.
Translation notes (2)
- 22:8 The Greek version includes an additional proverb: God blesses a man who gives cheerfully, / but his worthless deeds will come to an end. Compare 2 Cor 9:7.
- 22:20 Or excellent sayings; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.
John Wooden, basketball player and head coach at the University of California, Los Angeles in the mid 1900s once said, “Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think of you.” I recently read about John Wooden and the legacy he left in the world. He was an incredible, award-winning coach. What strikes me about this man, however is not his amazing award record. What strikes me about John Wooden is that he taught his players that victory went far beyond a winning game. He wanted his players to be people of character. He wanted them to not only be great players, but also great people. The true thing about this quote from John Wooden is that when you are so concerned with being a person of character, your reputation follows suit. John Wooden’s story is a challenge for us to prioritize having a good reputation and to teach the children in our lives to do the same.
The author of Proverbs 22 begins this beautiful chapter by writing, “Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold” (verse 1). This verse teaches that a good reputation is more valuable than the rarest riches. How do we gain such an honorable reputation? We live a life of character. We live a consistent lifestyle and we are the same person on Sunday that we are on Monday morning. We focus on becoming the people God has called us to be, with His help, of course. Then, we teach our children to also live lives of character by the way we live our lives and by teaching them what the Bible says about honoring God and earning a good reputation because of our character.
My friend, if you want to have a reputation of note, which is better than any riches, silver, or gold, it all begins with character. It begins with focusing on becoming people of character. When we focus on our character, we will ultimately gain a reputation for that character we live out day-to-day. May this be our legacy. May this be the legacy of our children. At the end of the day, may you and I have a good reputation because of our character, which is worth more than the costliest riches in the world, and lead our children to also live lives of character.
Moving Toward Action
Pull out your journal or a notebook and think about what you are known for? What do you think your reputation is? What do you want to be known for? What type of reputation do you want to have? Is there a disconnect? If so, what is it? How can you better bridge that gap between where you are and where you want to be? Finally, how can you lead the children in your life to become people of reputable character? What specific steps can you take to teach your children to honor God by their character?
Going Deeper
Read Proverbs 22:1-29 (NLT)
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