In scripture, a man’s name frequently refers to his reputation. The wise man values a good name far above the accumulated wealth of the entire world. Its value is priceless. A good name is what others think of a man resulting from his conduct. Unfortunately, many people throughout history have willingly sabotaged their good name in order to get gain and earthly pleasure. Yet, those who truly believe and trust the word of God know that “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” With this in mind, the believer should reflect upon the long-term effects every decision brings upon his reputation. Reaping immediate gratification takes a back seat to the prolonged benefits of having a good name among other believers, the unsaved, and especially the Lord.
In a world filled with competition and pride, the peacemaker is often wrongly accused of being unable to handle the conflict or the fight. This is why many people consider backing down from strife a sign of weakness. Once again, God and man are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. While many men consider it commendable to continue strife, God thinks it honourable to cease from strife. In other words, the greater man or woman brings conflict to a close rather than further instigating it. According to the Bible, it is a fool who continues to meddle in hopes of prolonging the conflict. It is up to each believer to determine whether to accept God’s way or man’s way of thinking.
The apostle Paul wanted to educate the Corinthians concerning the deeper things of God; however, he was unable to do so because of their inability to grasp such spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). These believers displayed a carnality like none other found within the scriptures. As a result of their carnality, they also exhibited envy, strife, and divisions (1 Corinthians 3:3). As their boasting concerning the individuals they chose to follow escalated, the divisiveness also increased. Some of them boasted of following Paul, while others boasted of following Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:4). They were full of pride and Paul had to enlighten them concerning the foolishness of this strife. The strife birthed from pride yielded a foolish behaviour. Strife was all the evidence Paul needed to rebuke these believers concerning their carnality.
Some have misapplied today’s verse to suggest that God is bound to financially give to those who financially give to Him. Some false teachers have used verses like Luke 6:38 to suggest that a man who gives to God will have his gift restored sevenfold. This seems to be the ploy of most televangelists. Giving to God's work is not a magical formula guaranteeing personal enrichment. In fact, a Christian who sacrificially gives to the Lord may lose his job. He may give to the Lord only to incur some major unexpected expense. Yet, the Christian can be sure that he will never give to the Lord without receiving a resultant blessing from God. Far too many times, we seem to blame God for any bad that may follow but fail to recognize the delayed blessings that are sure to follow obedience. The Lord promises that we will never give to Him without Him giving back to us. Rest assured that you cannot and will not ever out give God.
