Maintaining the Image

This goes out to my small group, though I doubt any of you really know I have a blog, let alone read it. :)

We talked the other night about the difference between King Saul and young David. Saul was all about protecting his reputation. He had an image to maintain after all! David, on the other hand, did not allow his drive for a good reputation to drive him. There is a psalm of David that I think lets us into David's heart: Psalm 37. These two verses give a unique insight:

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun" (Psalm 37:5-6).

David didn't worry about protecting himself because he committed everything he did to the Lord. Everything. Even his physical life!

So what about us? How do we maintain our image? No one wants a damaged reputation. You never know when someone might tell you that you've failed as a friend, a family member, a Christian, a minister, or whatever! You will be tempted in those times to protect yourself, to defend your cause. Like David, commit everything you do to the Lord. TRUST HIM. TRUST HIM. TRUST HIM. It is HE who will make your innocence radiate, HE who will make your just heart shine. (And if you're not innocent or just, it is HE who can work that in you before you get defensive, proving you're not innocent or just.)