Transform Your Legacy: Choose Esteem, Not Wealth

Verses

Proverbs 22:1 

‘A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. ‘ 

The morning of December 15, 2023, I was texting a friend way too early, 3:41AM to be exact. I felt called to share with him a New Testament wisdom verse from the book of James. James 3:13-16 for those that want to look it up. I’m not sure why I sent it to him other than I was guided to do so. As it turned out it was a verse he needed to hear at that moment; well probably not at 3:41 in the morning. When we pray with intention miraculous things happen, even if that means just sending a good friend a verse that is tugging on your heart and later receiving acknowledgment that it changed the course of their day. What made the exchange so much better was his response which included a verse back to me.  

The statement was along the lines that this particular Proverb was the goal of ownership at the company he works for. On the surface it doesn’t seem like a huge deal but knowing who the ‘owners’ are changes things a bit. You see, the company my friend works at is a mere side hustle with 8 locations compared to the owner’s core business with $20B+ in revenue and over 3,000 locations globally. Knowing the identity of both brands, I can attest that ownership is more concerned with a good name over great riches. This doesn’t mean they shovel financial prudence out with the bathwater, being led biblically, they are wise as serpents and make decisions as such. It’s how they conduct themselves, daily, from ownership, to leadership, to reception that defines their core values and culture across their multiple organizations.  

A good name requires honesty, vulnerability and humility, something in business at least that is as rare as spotting a vaquita in the wild. How many transactions per year, as a consumer, do you feel that the riches of silver and gold were placed higher than the name of business or the people performing the transaction? We live in a self-motivated world, driven by accumulation of wealth to fulfill the ‘American Dream’. The fruit of a good name is trust; not all that different from faith when we think about it. Like trust, you can’t see, touch, or taste faith, yet it’s wholly tangible. A good name is rooted below the surface and requires intentional tending to, much like a garden. Why is a good name so important? Legacy. Legacy is the character and nature we leave behind after we depart from this temporary existence. It’s our invisible wake that carries our contributions to God, our families and our work forward. The next time you transact in any situation, put your name on the line, put your legacy first and intentionally build trust, don’t let it become a byproduct of chance. This simple act of faith, while a challenge, will undoubtedly reap many treasures here on earth and in heaven, some physically tangible, some not. Matthew 6:21 ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ 

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Eric Bucher