Reading verse: Genesis 43:1-34
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.”
Proverbs 22: 1
Reputation is not something that is easy to be maintained. It is so much easier to receive or destroy it, than to maintain it. The first thing we need to learn is to be reliable. The moment other people perceive us as a reliable person; we can already build our reputation. However, the minute we stain trust, our reputation will be totally ruined and it would be very difficult to gain it back.
The same goes for Jacob. He could not entrust Benjamin to the hands of his sons. This is because he once lost Joseph when Joseph was with his brothers and Joseph never came back. In Jacob’s mind, He would lose Benjamin if we entrusted Benjamin to his brothers, and history would repeat itself. This is despite the truth that it is the duty of elder brothers to take care of the younger ones.
Their reputation has been totally ruined in Jacob’s eyes. It would be extremely difficult for them to gain back the trust of their father. Although during the famine hit their country, the only way for them was to bring Benjamin to look for food in Egypt, Jacob still did not let go of Benjamin. It is only when Judah gave a guarantee that he would take care of Benjamin, that Jacob let his youngest son go.
How about us? Are we maintaining our reputations well? Never waste the trust that others have given us. If we do not want to lose our reputation, we have no other way but to maintain it. Show it by our actions that we are trustworthy.
Trust grows by real actions from time to time. (DC/DS)
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