Read: Acts 9:36-42
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold. (Prov. 22:1)
When Proverbs talks about choosing a good name it’s not referring to expectant parents having lengthy conversations about what to call the baby. It’s talking about caring in the right sense for your personal reputation. Our next devotion will address the problem of being overly concerned about your reputation in your community, whatever that community is (workplace, school, town, church, club). But today we’re invited to reflect on what it means to want and have “a good name.”
Eulogy literally means “good word.” When someone dies, a eulogy is usually given at the funeral, focusing (one hopes) on the virtues of that person’s life and character. When Dorcas fell ill and died, the eulogy at her funeral wasn’t just verbal, it was visual. As Peter entered the upper room where the body was laid out, “All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them” (Acts 9:39).
It has been pointed out that eulogy virtues are very different from résumé virtues. Résumé virtues are all about credentials and accomplishments; eulogy virtues are all about character. At your funeral, people probably won’t talk about what you owned or how much money you made or what kind of house you lived in. But they are certain to talk about what kind of name you had. You can choose to make it a good one. —David Bast
As you pray, reflect on how you might choose a good name today.
About the Author
Rev. Dave Bast retired as the President and Broadcast Minister of Words of Hope in January 2017, after 23 years with the ministry. Prior to his ministry and work at Words of Hope, Dave served as a pastor for 18 years in congregations in the Reformed Church in America. He is the author of several devotional books. A graduate of Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, he has also studied at both the Fuller and Calvin seminaries. Dave and his wife, Betty Jo, have four children and four grandchildren. Dave enjoys reading, growing tomatoes, and avidly follows the Detroit Tigers.
