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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for August 3, 2010
“Keys to a Good Reputation”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Who do you know that has a good reputation?
Pick someone and think about this. Why, in your mind, do they have a good reputation?
To me, one of the most important aspects of a good reputation is keeping your word.
Recently we moved, and several people committed to help. They said they would be there, and they were there! Little things like that build a reputation.
One man said he wasn’t sure if he could be there, but he would call and let me know; and he did call.
See, it’s not whether people helped or not. It’s whether they kept their word.
On the flipside, one of the quickest ways to trash your reputation in my mind is by not keeping your word. I’ve known guys, supposedly respectable guys, who would say they were going to do things, then not do them.
Are you still thinking of the same person who, to you, has a good reputation? Hopefully they are a person who keeps their word.
Another part of having a good reputation is kindness. If you keep your word, but you are harsh or cruel or selfish – you will not have a good reputation. The people who have a good reputation in my mind are generous people. They give their time and their money and their talents.
Jesus taught about going the extra mile. When you go the extra mile to help people, you build a good reputation.
Going the extra mile is a kindness, but it ties in with my next reputation building block, and that is a good work ethic.
The people I respect the most have a good work ethic. They are willing to work and work hard. They don’t care if the boss is looking. They don’t care if they are getting paid. They are just willing to dive in and work hard at whatever they decide to do.
And then comes humility. You can have a good work ethic and a huge ego. You can work hard and be proud and arrogant about it. You can be giving and arrogant, honest and arrogant. You can be wonderful in every way, but if you are arrogant about it, it knocks a chunk out of your reputation.
Here are my building blocks so far for a good reputation:
--Keep your word
--Be kind
--Work hard
--Be humble
Now here is something you might not think of, but to me, to have a good reputation you need to be good at something.
Now listen. Nobody is good at everything. Michael Jordan was a mediocre baseball player.
The point is, be good at something. Pick something and work on it, enhance it, grow it. Be good at it, then you’ll be an inspiration and a resource to others.
It’s hard to have a good reputation if you are good at nothing.
It can be a skill or an attitude. It can be a sense of humor or singing or woodwork or public speaking. It’s different for different people, but if you want to have a good reputation, you need to be good at something.
And finally, the people that have a good reputation in my mind have this one thing in common. They see something bigger than themselves.
For Christians this should be obvious. We are to set our minds on things above, on the Lord and the things of the Spirit.
And here on earth, we are thinking about the good of mankind and loving our neighbors. We are big-picture thinkers. We see beyond today and beyond our little lives. The people I respect see a world much larger than their own.
And finally, here are some other common characteristics of people who have a good reputation to me.
They control their tongue.
They control their anger.
They handle both victory and failure with dignity.
They are consistent in both the high times and the low times.
Proverbs 22:1 says that “…a good name is more desirable than great riches…”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 says that “a good name is better than fine perfume…”
And First Timothy 3:7 says that an overseer in the church “must have a good reputation with outsiders…”
So think about the people you know who, in your mind, have a good reputation, and think about what they have in common. And if your list is like mine, it will include these characteristics:
--They keep their word
--They are kind
--They have a good work ethic
--They are humble.
--They are good something
--And they see the world as so much bigger than themselves.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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