Everyone Has a Testimony
by Dr. Paul Chappell
“Moreover
thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God,
men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be
rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and
rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it
shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every
small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and
they shall bear the burden with thee.”
Exodus 18:21–22
When Moses found himself overwhelmed by the task of judging the disputes and questions between the huge number of Israelites who had left Egypt and were traveling through the wilderness, his father-in-law advised him to pick subordinates who would be able to handle routine details, leaving Moses to adjudicate the major issues that those under him could not settle. These people were not picked at random. They would have enormous power, and be subject to great temptation. There was tremendous potential for abuse if the wrong people were put in power. In order to get the right people, the rulers were selected on the basis of their prior reputation as being “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.”
Each of us has a testimony—not just a recounting of the events that led to our conversion, but the way in which we have lived that has created a story about who and what we are. While it is true that character matters more than reputation, it is also true that reputation, largely, is the harvest of the seeds we have been planting. We may not be thinking about the impact we are having, but every day we are enhancing or destroying our witness to others. It is said that a friend once approached Plato with news of a serious false accusation that had been leveled against the philosopher and asked what they should do. Plato replied, “We must simply live in such a way that all people will know it is false.”
Exodus 18:21–22
When Moses found himself overwhelmed by the task of judging the disputes and questions between the huge number of Israelites who had left Egypt and were traveling through the wilderness, his father-in-law advised him to pick subordinates who would be able to handle routine details, leaving Moses to adjudicate the major issues that those under him could not settle. These people were not picked at random. They would have enormous power, and be subject to great temptation. There was tremendous potential for abuse if the wrong people were put in power. In order to get the right people, the rulers were selected on the basis of their prior reputation as being “able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness.”
Each of us has a testimony—not just a recounting of the events that led to our conversion, but the way in which we have lived that has created a story about who and what we are. While it is true that character matters more than reputation, it is also true that reputation, largely, is the harvest of the seeds we have been planting. We may not be thinking about the impact we are having, but every day we are enhancing or destroying our witness to others. It is said that a friend once approached Plato with news of a serious false accusation that had been leveled against the philosopher and asked what they should do. Plato replied, “We must simply live in such a way that all people will know it is false.”
Today’s Growth Principle:
Our actions and reactions combine to make up the reputation by which we are known.
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