A wise reputation

A wise person knows that their reputation is the most important thing they own.  The central theme of Proverbs 31 is found in a verse that some seem to think is out of place. Proverbs 31:23 says Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. He is able to sit at the gate because his reputation is above reproach and his wife does nothing to harm his or her reputation either.

Last week my daughters bus driver handed me a 5 dollar bill. He said that he thought she had dropped it out of her backpack. I told him that it was possible and I would look into her bank to see and if it wasn't hers I would give it back to him. When I walked into the house I got busy and forgot about it. The next morning I saw the 5 dollar bill and went and checked her bank. Her money was safely tucked into her bank. So now I had two options I could turn the money into the bus driver and admit that it was not her money or I could pocket the 5 and let him think that it was her money. I tucked the 5 into my pocket. When the bus arrived I handed it to the bus driver and told him it was not her money.

As I walked back into the house I thought about all the ramifications that would have come with keeping the money. First, Maybe no one would have ever questioned where the money went. But what if someone had and it had come back to them that I had kept it. Not only would my reputation been tarnished but It would have reflected badly on my husband and children. Would their teachers think that they were not to be trusted because their mom took money that did not belong to her. Would people be willing to listen to my husband preach or give advise if they thought his wife was a thief? Is all of that grief worth it for five dollars?

It does not matter if we think that we can get away with it just this once. Or that no one will ever find out. If it is not something we would want people to find out about than we should not be doing it at all. If it is something that would cause irreparable harm to our relationships it is not something we should be doing. A wise person measures their actions and chooses what is best.