Virtue Not Spin – Proverbs 22

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold.” – Proverbs 22:1 (BSB)

This proverb speaks quite plainly of the value of a good reputation. But don’t think for a moment that it refers to the necessity of hiring a good publicist or spin doctor to manage the way that others perceive you.

Nope. It refers to the importance of an impeccable life, lived publicly and privately in accordance with the highest values.

It’s said that “you are who you are when no one is watching.” This is the very definition of integrity. Integrity contains not only the idea of moral strength, but also the idea of wholeness. (Think structural integrity.) You are only one person at all times, not “two-faced” or good in one context and bad in another.

This is the kind of life that earns you the love of your family, favor with your peers, and respect within the community at large. A reputation like this can’t be bought for any amount of money. It is truly “better than silver or gold.”

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; favor is better than silver and gold.” – Proverbs 22:1