And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. — Luke 2:25
Throughout my life, I have heard countless stories recounting the reputation of people. For example, I remember growing up and hearing how someone like Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. That was his reputation. But that was not his only reputation.
Jordan was also known for lashing out verbally at his teammates. He was known for excessive gambling, alcohol abuse, and many other things. While he may have been the greatest to ever play the game of basketball, his personal life was much different. It reminds me of a quote by D.L. Moody, who once said, “Character is what a man is in the dark.”
It’s true that what we are when no one is looking, that is who we really are. In fact, Moody summarized it in another statement when he said, “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of me.” That’s what we see here in Simeon.
Simeon was a man who, the Bible tells us, was just and devout. He had a solid character when no one was watching, and his reputation took care of him. Everyone knew that Simeon was a Christian just by how he lived his life. It was a powerful reputation based on someone with amazing character.
As you reflect today, what is your reputation? Does your true character show through in all that you do? Our desire should be to live a life that points others to Christ in all that we do. If that is our true heart’s desire, our character will shine through, leaving a powerful reputation of being just and devout.
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