By: Undre Griggs, Jr.
While watching television, a car commercial came on that caught my eye. Unlike traditional car commercials that talk about how well they can tow this or how fast they can go from 0-60 mph; this commercial was bragging about how much their brand is trusted.
Titus 2:7-8 (ESV): Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
There is something to be said about someone (or something) who is trusted by their peers and counterparts. There are many ways to achieve this goal, but it is probable each path will mention the need to be consistent. To be a “model of good works”, one would need to actively and consistently help others. The Greek used for “model” means to be a stamp or impression. If any of us have ever used a stamp, we can appreciate the dependability of it. Every time the stamp is pressed on a paper, it leaves the same mark over and over again. And when someone is consistent, it makes it difficult for opponents to spread lies about them.
Romans 13:4 (ESV): For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.
We should live in a manner where it is almost impossible to convince someone we did something contrary to our character. It should be as difficult as convincing someone a stamp that left one impression is going to leave another impression the next time it is used. Put simply, the imprint of a stamp does not change; and neither should the imprint we leave. If we want to be trustworthy, the first thing we need to do is commit to be the same every day. This will enable people to get to know us; whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is up to us. In the case where we do not believe we are living a life consistent with the expectations God has of us, we should commit to making a change for the better. While the difficulty of making a change may keep us wanting to try, it is well worth the investment.
RSS Feed