“Worry About Your Character And Not Your Reputation!”(Rev 3:1-6).
A famous quote attributed to John Wooden says: “Worry about your character, not your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” “Reputation is the beliefs or opinions that are generally held about someone or something.” Reputation is usually a big contrast to reality. Reputation is an external representation that can be larger or smaller than the actual character traits. Reputation is influenced by observable information, including your actions and outward behaviours. Rumours and biases can influence reputation as well. Lastly, reputation is evaluation, as an outsider observer may consider one’s actions good or bad, important or not.
It is ideal for reputation to align with the reality of who a person is – character. However, it is not always the case because “character is who you are, while reputation is merely what others think you are.”
While you have control over your character and actions, your reputation is in the hands of others.
Reputation and character can have a stronger link if one expands the hidden area of his character so as to expand the “open area” in the Johari Window four quandrants.
The four quadrants of the Johari(Joe & Harry) window include:
- Open area with information about yourself that are known by you and others – your feelings, behaviours, and motivations that are publicly known.
- Blind area with information that others know about you but you are not aware of – behavioural patterns and personality traits that others perceive.
- Hidden area containing information that you know about yourself but hide it from others; including your personal goals, fears, or other private feelings and experiences.
- Lastly is the Unknown area: this area contains information that is unknown to both you and others. It could be your skills or traits that have not yet been discovered. We dare to add intentions – good or evil!
While God knows what are in the four areas, he alone knows what is in the unknown area. The larger the hidden area, the smaller the open area and the blind area. The smaller the hidden area, the larger the open area, which helps a reputation to match with reality.
The height of human hypocrisy is the ability to deliberately expand the hidden area, thereby projecting a false positive reputation through the small open area. This is a representative picture of a modern-day church in Sardis. She has a reputation for being alive (through a small open area), but she is dead(the hidden area and unknown areas that escape the public eye).
My friend, today is the first Sunday in Advent. Advent is a four week season of the Church’s year preceeding Christmas. Christmas carols are already filling the air. But Advent is reminding us of the unprecedented Second Coming of Christ. Hence, the stern call to readiness and preparedness: “Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
There are, however, people who have kept the faith according to what they were taught and who they believe in – “they have not soiled their clothes.” Their names will never be blotted out from the book of life!
In summary, “work on the hidden area of your life, so that the reputation of you is a true reflection of who you are! Cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ so that he will reduce the unknown area of your life as you know Christ more and more and the power of his resurrection.
Advent prayer: Holy Spirit, sound the alarm and wake me up from spiritual slumber. Amen!
Welcome to the season of Advent 2025. Have a blessed Sunday! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
39/12/2025.