Life Sentences
Dave Faust
One of my favorite Bible characters is a fellow named Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus. We know him better by his nickname. The apostles called him Barnabas, which means "Son of Encouragement."
It was a fitting title, for Barnabas left behind an impressive track record of encouragement. He sold a piece of property and gave the proceeds to help the poor (Acts 4:36, 37). When others still feared the newly converted Saul of Tarsus, Barnabas urged them to accept Saul (or Paul) as a brother (Acts 9:26–30). Then Barnabas and Paul traveled together as missionaries, establishing new congregations, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith (Acts 14:22). What a great legacy—to be remembered as a Son of Encouragement!
Wouldn't it be interesting if all of us were given nicknames to reflect our dominant characteristics? Imagine the possibilities. Son of Grumpiness. Daughter of Irritability. Child of Impatience. Teen of Boredom. Man of Self-centeredness. Would our friends and families give us nicknames like Mr. Always Busy, Mrs. Untamed Tongue, or Dr. Difficult-to-Deal-With? Would we be known as Sons of Thunder like James and John?
The Bible says, "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold" (Proverbs 22:1). What kind of reputation are we developing? What will future generations remember about us?
David was a gifted statesman and poet, and Solomon was wealthy and wise—but we also recall the moral failures that tarnished their reputations and weakened their nation. We remember Absalom for his hefty head of hair and his proud, rebellious heart. Elisha was bald and bold. Zacchaeus was short in stature but long on repentance. And there are many others whose biblical biographies capture their legacies in short summaries that sound like epitaphs carved on tombstones.
Enoch: he "walked with God" (Genesis 5:24). Hananiah: he was "a man of integrity" (Nehemiah 7:2). Mary's husband Joseph: he was "a righteous man" (Matthew 1:19). Mary of Bethany: "She did what she could" (Mark 14:8). Phoebe: "she has been a great help to many people" (Romans 16:2). Tychicus: "a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord" (Colossians 4:7). Onesiphorus: "he often refreshed me" (2 Timothy 1:16).
But there are negative examples as well—people who passed along less-than-encouraging legacies. How would you like to go down in history as a record-setting world champion sinner? A king named Omri "did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him" (1 Kings 16:25). Have you ever been tempted to place personal achievements ahead of your family responsibilities? Sadly, a man named Hiel rebuilt Jericho "at the cost of his firstborn son" and set up its gates "at the cost of his youngest son" (1 Kings 16:34). Hymenaeus and Alexander "shipwrecked their faith" (1 Timothy 1:19, 20). Diotrephes was a malicious gossip who loved "to be first" (3 John 9). And in one of the saddest verses in Scripture, the apostle Paul reports that his former friend and coworker Demas had deserted him "because he loved this world" (2 Timothy 4:10).
It's enough to make you think: If a writer were to summarize your life in a sentence or two, what would he say?
This column first appeared in The Lookout on Jan 3, 1999.