Proverbs 22:1–2 (ESV)
1 A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
2 The rich and the poor meet together;
the LORD is the maker of them all.
Many people spend months choosing the perfect name for their baby. The “good name” Solomon refers to is not the name itself but the reputation attached to it. Ecclesiastes similarly declares, “A good name is better than precious ointment” (Ecclesiastes 7:1). Such a reputation is earned through a life marked by integrity, faithfulness, and godly character. While riches can sometimes be gained through dishonest means, a godly reputation is cultivated over a lifetime of walking with the Lord. It is a treasure that money can never buy.
Solomon goes on to say that favor is better than silver or gold. The Hebrew word translated “favor” (ḥen) refers to the goodwill and esteem that often accompany a life of wisdom and integrity. Even Jesus “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). While a godly reputation often earns the respect of others, the greatest favor is the Lord’s approval of a life that pleases him.
Solomon then shifts our attention from reputation to humanity. “The rich and the poor meet together.” Though their circumstances may be very different, they have the same Creator. The Lord made them both, and both are equally accountable to him. Wealth neither increases a person’s worth, nor does poverty diminish it. Every man, woman, and child bears the image of God and possesses equal dignity before him.
This truth changes the way we see people. The wealthy have no reason to look down on those with less, and those with fewer resources have no reason to envy the wealthy. Both live under the wise providence of the same Creator, who gives and takes away according to his perfect will. Whether a woman lives in a gated neighborhood or struggles to pay this month’s rent, she bears God’s image and possesses the same dignity before the God who made her.
Ask yourself what you are pursuing most. Are you investing your life in building wealth or in building a reputation that honors Christ? A good name is cultivated one choice at a time through honesty, humility, kindness, and faithfulness. Every day you are choosing between treasures that fade and a reputation that endures. Choose wisely.