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Reputation


So the men set out in pursuit of the spies on the road that leads to the fords of the Jordan, and as soon as the pursuers had gone out, the gate was shut. Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below (Joshua 2:7-11)
 

          The last place I worked, I worked very hard to earn a reputation. I not only wanted to be good at my job, on my terms, but I wanted it known that if you invaded "my turf," you had to do a good job, or else face me. Somewhere along the line, I started introducing myself to new co-workers as "The Wicked Witch of the West." For a short time, it actually seemed to work. I have a few other reputations. One is as a stupid pseudo-intellectual because some people have this notion that real intellectuals must be materialists who agree with a number of assumptions. Some people think I'm a contrarian, again, because I don't agree with them. There are still others who have the strange notion that I'm a Liberal because I don't goose-step to their beat, and others who think I'm a Nazi because I don't goose-step to their beat.
         Rahab had a reputation, possibly more than one, depending on who you asked. She was a prostitute. I'm surprised the soldiers didn't know about her "emergency exit." She was also a traitor who joined the Israelites. She married an Israeli and they had a son named Boaz. He married Ruth, so Ruth's first mother-in-law was Naomi, and her second mother-in-law was Rahab. Can you imagine?
       The Israelites had a reputation that I'd like. People knew that Israel was a nation on the move who had a God who did great things for them. 
          Have you thought about your reputation? Is it something you have worked to build, or just something that happened? I've been thinking about mine, since "Wicked Witch of the West" doesn't work anymore. There are a number of possibilities that are frequent prayer requests: good daughter, good neighbor, good friend, good citizen, a good sister, a good aunt, a Nobody who does what only nobodies can do, a good Christian....  If you're looking for ideas, feel free to borrow any of those.
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