Articles
The Reputation Paradox
There’s an interesting paradox in scripture regarding how others view us. On one side we have the teaching that it doesn’t matter what anyone else believes about me; only God’s judgment. Galatians 1:10 exemplifies this. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” On the other side, scripture also teaches us to have some sense of concern for our own reputations. Proverbs 22:1 observes, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold.” These two notions have the potential to cause some level of angst in our lives. Does it matter what others think of me or not? If it does, then how can Paul say he’s only trying to please God and not men? Which one am I supposed to latch on to? Believe it or not, the answer is BOTH/AND, not EITHER/OR.
First, recognize that ultimately it is only God’s assessment of us that lasts eternally. The fact that we live in a temporal world means that all human assessments have an expiration date. Our identity and eternal destiny are not determined by other people’s judgments of who we are. Jesus told us that some in the world would hate us just for being true to Him. Such a judgment is hardly worthy to warrant ongoing stress and worry. To this end, it only matters that we live to please God.
However, our reputations shouldn’t be thrown to the wind. For one, they are helpful indicators of whether we are living a Spirit-filled life or not. While it is true that the world (categorically) hates Christians, the individual people in our lives frequently can/do express respect for following God’s ways. For example, one of the qualifications for an elder is that he must have a good reputation among those outside the church (1 Tim 3:7). It is a direct indicator that his godly character is expressed in all areas of his life.
Additionally, our good name among other people is a tool for glorifying God and saving souls. It’s easy to see that we lose our effectiveness at reaching the lost if we’re known for hypocrisy, arrogance, and worldly behavior. In such cases, we’re no different from the world, so why does it matter if they follow Jesus or not. Maintaining a good reputation can help others see the power of God to change lives. Peter will note (1 Peter 2 & 3) that our good conduct among “Gentiles” can result in God’s glory, that servants should respectfully submit to (even unjust) masters as an expression of trust in Jesus, and a wife’s respectful submission to her unbelieving husband could result in him “[being] won without a word by the conduct of [his wife].”
The point is that other people’s opinions do matter, within a certain context. We should care about the reputations we build and maintain yet understand they don’t determine our ultimate identity or destiny. Focus your life on pleasing God above all and let your reputation be a tool that indicates your faith and brings others to Him.
