What's Your Reputation?

Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.  (Prov 31:23) 

            Have you ever known someone whose spouse or boy/girlfriend was a source of embarrassment? Or whose kids were? Have you ever gone into a store or restaurant and walked out wondering what sort of idiot hired the person who waited on you? Do you have any friends you'd really rather not introduce to the rest of your friends? I'm not going to pretend that I haven't been that social liability in the lives of some people I know. In this passage, Lemuel turns the spotlight from the noble wife to her husband: Lemuel himself. With the noble woman as his wife, he could go to work as a ruler without having to worry either his reputation or his wife's.

           This one is a challenge for me. My preference is to be invisible as a person, but the way that I express love to others tends to be through ideas that are often expressed....well, let's be charitable and say that they are expressed with more candor than sensitivity. That's not my only social flaw. This may be my biggest failure as a Proverbs 31 woman. There are some people who think they are better off without such a friend, relative, or significant other. There are some who consider this sort of person to be a treasure, even if they might not want to display that treasure too often.

            As bad as a lack of tact (to use my mother's description of my failing) may be, I suspect that association (family, friendship, etc.) with other sorts of people does more damage to one's career: thievery, drunkenness, assault, gossip, use of foul language, rage (especially public), bullying, cheating, gambling.... I wonder how many addictions and bad habits would be prevented if we cared about the reputation of those closest to us.