By Amitabh Singh

"Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1

We have it but haven't seen it. No one else gave it to us. Not our parents. Not our grandparents. Not even our school teachers or friends. Yet we are all responsible for it. We can't look into the mirror and see it. Yet we have it with us everyday. You can't put it away in a box. You can't lock it away or get rid of it.

No matter which PORTICO campus you attend - it's something you have. It does not matter whether you go to the Mississauga Campus, Milton Campus, Brampton Campus or follow PORTICO Online – it’s always with you. It’s true for your local church and it’s true for you. Nobody provided it. You and others in your church created it. You can at best refine it or enrich it. You definitely can develop it or destroy it. You can improve it over a period of time or blow it away in a moment.

I am talking about your character and our reputation. We are building it every day of our life. Godly character is not developed in a moment.

I like this quote from Martin Luther King Jr:

"Oh, the worst of all tragedies is not to die young, but to live until I am 75 and yet not truly to have lived."

Look at the life of Jesus. By the current world standard of success, Jesus was a failure.

Was he popular?

No. In fact, after one of His teaching sessions, al His followers, except 12 deserted Him.

Did he have political power?

No. It was a political anti-climax. The government at first rejected him and then conspired to kill him.

Did he have lots of friends?

No. His friends often hurt him, abandoned him, and one betrayed him resulting in death.

Did he have wealth?

No. No house, no car, and no head-office.

Was he respected by his colleagues?

No. His professional peers (Pharisees) rejected his work.

Despite having no great success in his lifetime, this is what Napoléon Bonaparte, the French General, had to say about him:

"Between Him and every person in the world, there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, and I founded empires. But, on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon life; and at this hour, millions of men would die for him."

May God bless you as you continue being attentive to His voice. He is the author and the finisher of our faith. Let Him walk with you, and talk with you, along life's narrow way.