Reputation

Titus 1:10-16

¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. ¹¹ They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. ¹² One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, ¹⁴ not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. ¹⁵ To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. ¹⁶ They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

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Questions:

What kind of a reputation do you have?  What are you known for?

Paul quotes the Greek Philosopher Epimenides when he refers to “a prophet of their own” in verse 12. The Cretans had a reputation of being evil lazy liars and, according to Paul, they had earned that reputation. They were even self-proclaiming of their reputation. Although vile actions were the way of the culture they weren’t something to be embraced by the followers of Jesus in Crete. By living out the love of Jesus in this culture, these early believers had an incredible opportunity to reach their fellow Cretans.

What do you want your reputation to be?  What do you want to be known for?

In order to develop that reputation what is one thing you can start doing today?

Can you think of somebody that has the reputation and is leaving the same kind of legacy you would like to have?  What gives them their reputation.

Thank Jesus for giving us an example of what it looks like to live and love counter-culturally.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would help you to transform from a product of the culture to a model of Jesus.