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Chaplain: Building Your Reputation

By Allen Teal, Chaplain

“A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1, NIV

This April, we celebrate life and death. Palm Sunday arrives on the first Sunday of the month, and Easter comes on April 12. April is also the month when we embrace the end of winter and the life of spring. This makes it a good time to reflect on our part in the world. April 6 is “Plan Your Epitaph Day.” While you may not find this an uplifting idea, it can be valuable to consider how others may recall you.

THE BIBLE OFTEN RECALLS PEOPLE BY THEIR PROMINENT TRAIT OR ACCOMPLISHMENT.

The Old Testament describes Noah as a righteous and blameless man in Genesis 6:9. Abraham was “God’s friend” (James 2:23 and Isaiah 41:8). The Bible remembers David as “a man after God’s own heart” in Acts 13:22. In the New Testament, this list gets very long with people such as Mary, Peter, Paul, Thomas, Stephen and many others.

STRIVE TO LEAVE OTHERS WITH A GOOD IMPRESSION OF YOU.

Ultimately, you cannot help it if someone simply decides not to like you. However, you can improve the odds that others will think kindly about you. You make an impression on everything you touch. Choose carefully where to leave your fingerprints. Try hard to be a part of positive and good activities. Make speaking kindly and wisely your natural way of being.

PLAN YOUR EPITAPH DAY.

Whether you plan this on April 6 is unimportant. Take time to think about your legacy. You will leave an epitaph either by chance or on purpose. You can change your legacy by using your desired epitaph as a guide for your future choices and actions. Years ago, I went through a time of searching regarding how I wanted others to remember me. After discarding many options, I settled on a two-word epitaph that I have tried to live by ever since. The words I selected: “He cared.”

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