William Shakespeare wrote, “The purest treasure mortal times afford, is spotless reputation; that away, men are but gilded loam, or painted clay.” His words reflect a familiar passage of scripture. We are made of the clay of this earth (Job 33:6), but we can have a spotless reputation that will allow us to be more than that. It is the inner man that has value—and that value depends on character as reflected on our name.

A good name is more valuable that gold or silver (Proverbs 22:1). Since our reputation is our true treasure, it makes sense that we pay attention to our impact on other people—they observe and see our character in action. A regular self-examination will help keep our reputation clean and spotless. It is well worth the effort.