What Do You Hope People Say About You?

WordPress, the platform we use for ThePreachersWord, has a daily writing prompt on its dashboard for bloggers.

Recently this probing and penetrating question caught my eye. “Tell us one thing you hope people say about you?”

I suppose we all know that other people, our friends, family, neighbors, brethren, co-workers, all have opinions about us. Do you suppose their view is the same as the way we see ourselves?

With that thought in mind, consider the Divine description of these Bible characters.

Noah.
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God” (Gen. 6:9).

Abraham
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God” (Jas. 2:23).

Moses
“Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Num. 12:3).

David
“He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will’” (Ax. 13:22).

Nathanael
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” (Jn. 1:47).

The Unnamed Sinful Woman
“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much” (Lk.7:47).

Barnabas
“For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Ax. 11:24).

Phoebe
“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also” (Rom. 15:1-2).

Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus
“they have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men” (1 Cor. 16:17).

Timothy
“A true son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2).

Priscilla and Aquila,
“My fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life” (Rom. 13:4).

Obviously, none of these were sinlessly perfect, but they all received the praise of others, and the Lord Himself. Also many more names could be added from Hebrews 11 whose lives are summed by two words–”by faith.” They lived and died by faith in God and His Word.

So, this brings us back to the original question. “Tell us one thing you hope people say about you?” How would you answer?

• He’s a successful business man.”
• She’s a good wife and mother.
• He’s funny.
• They’re a fun couple.
• He’s a good athlete.
• She’s an amazing cook.
• He’s a great story-teller.
• He’s always ready to lend a helping hand.
• She’s thoughtful and considerate of others.
• She inspires others.
• He’s honest.
• He’s a good husband. Or she’s a really good wife.
• She’s a virtuous woman.
• He’s a hard worker.
• They’re really good parents.
• She’s cheerful.
• He’s a patient man.
• He (she) is a good Bible student.
• He practices what he preaches.
• He’s leaving a legacy of giving.
• He lives a life true to his values.
• He (she) is a godly person.

There are so many answers to this question. How would you answer it?

Even more importantly, we ought to ask, “What do you hope God says about you?”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman