What Do People Say About You?

As my class was watching The Crucible, the character of John Proctor exclaims, “It’s my name! It’s all I have!” He is about to be hanged on false charges. To save himself, he must sign his name to a false confession that would further tarnish his reputation and ruin the future for his sons, and so he refuses. This scene expressed the importance of a name and the actions taken to protect that name. I was reminded of the question from Priscilla Shirer’s Bible study Elijah, “If your name was brought up in a crowd or conversation when you were not around, what would people say about you?”

It is a question that I asked my classes. It is also the question that made some students think, and question how they want to be seen. Some went so far as to say, “I don’t care.” I thought that was youth talking and with some maturity that line would change. When I asked adult friends, many wanted to be remembered as kind, generous, and happy. Others wanted to be remembered as a good mother, a loving wife, a doting sister, and a forever friend.

While we want to be remembered in a positive light, we will all encounter moments when people will think differently about us. What happens when you choose to be a law-abiding citizen instead of a lawbreaker? What happens when you choose honesty and integrity in taking a test instead of cheating and plagiarizing? What happens when you choose to live in obedience to God instead of living man’s way? What do people say about you? You may be called a “goody-two-shoes” or a teacher’s pet. You may be called a “Holy-roller or a Bible-thumper.” So, how do you overcome the negative of what people may say about you and continue to live out the authentic legacy of your name?

Sometimes our names are associated with generations of family members who may have been prominent or some who may have had a shady past. However, when the name is brought up in conversation, there is definitely an opinion or perception associated with the name. I share with students that their names are associated with the actions that they take. I used the example of a girl who is overly popular among the guys, the guy who cuts classes to take a “smoke” break, the student who develops a reputation for being rude and disrespectful to his peers and elders, or the student who takes things just because. Suppose that after a few years, all of these students mature and change the nature of their ways. The young lady becomes a reserved and stellar student; the young men begin to value education, mature in character, and lead a life of honesty. Fast forward to the twentieth reunion. What is the first thing you will remember when their names are mentioned in conversation?

This is not just an issue of today. The importance of a name has existed forever. A name is attached to how we represent it. What do we think about when the names Moses, Joseph, and Paul are mentioned in conversation? We recall that in Exodus, Moses led the people out of Egypt, but we also remember that he killed two Egyptians. After a while on the journey, the Israelites began to moan, groan, and complain against Moses and against God. Here’s why we remember Moses; he did not change, nor did he join them in the complaining. Look at his actions. Instead, he prayed to God to save them. Numbers 11: 1-2 states, “Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the Lord heard everything they said. Then the Lord’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp. Then the people screamed to Moses for help, and when he prayed to the Lord, the fire stopped.”

In Genesis, Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Let’s face it, without meaning to, Joseph came across as bragging that his brothers would one day serve him. Frankly, he got on their nerves! “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children because he was the son of his old age. Also, he made him a tunic of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him” (Genesis 37:3-4). We remember that Joseph endured many hardships with physical, mental, and emotional abuse during the following years of his life. However, it was necessary in order to fulfill God’s plan. You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20). Look at his action. The greatest part of Joseph’s journey is that he never gave in to bitterness and chose to respond with meekness, unrelenting faith, deep humility, and a spirit of forgiveness.

We recall the journey of Paul that would ultimately lead to the transformation of his heart and change his name: As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”  “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked…. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.  (Acts 9:3-8). Look at his action. The personal revelation of the Holy Spirit within him allowed him to become one of the most well-known Apostles. ⁹ For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything… [Ananias said] “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:9, 18, 19.)

Because of their names, what do people say about these men? Moses was a rescuer and a leader. Joseph was a forgiving, sacrificial lamb that saved many. Paul was a transformer and deliverer of the word. We remember their names when we talk about their journeys and their actions. The question remains, “If your name was brought up in a crowd or conversation when you were not around, what would people say about you?”

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