Truth #198 - Your name is your reputation

2 Kings 12:15
And they did not ask for an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly.

Truth:  Your reputation is your name!!

We live in a world that struggles with trust within organizations.   Holding people accountable is actually a skill taught in leadership classes.   Since we have sin in our lives we are suspicious of others and we constantly want to "verify" their work or their word.   This fact is what makes the above passage so unusual for us.   This was a time when Jehoash was the king, but more importantly, when Jehoiada was the priest.  Jehoiada was a powerful influence on the king and the kingdom of Judah.   Under their combined leadership they wanted to rebuild the temple.  Jehoiada required that the people give to the project and then the money be given to the builders.   The men who gave the money to the builders were, apparently, honest men.   This trust in them, which negated any accounting procedures, is unmatched in most of the stories we have in life.    We aren't given much information about these men.    We know nothing of their names, background or station in life.  We do know they were honest.   We have in this passage the mention of the honesty of the men but not their names.   Their reputation lives on in Scripture forever, but without anyone knowing their names.   Solomon actually wrote about this aspect of our reputation in the book of Proverbs.

Proverbs 22:1
A good name is to be more desired than great wealth,
Favor is better than silver and gold.

Proverbs 10:7
The memory of the righteous is blessed,
But the name of the wicked will rot.

Or, note what the Psalmist says:

Psalm 112:6
For he will never be shaken
The righteous will be remembered forever.

We do not know the names of these men, but we do know they were righteous men and faithful to the task set before them.   Today men want to be known for their position, possession and power.  These men wanted to be known for doing what they were asked in regard to the work of the rebuilding of the temple.  Their reputation was their name ... they were trustworthy!!