Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

‍
In God's value system, sometimes He puts more worth in something that may seem small in the eyes of the world, while at the same time putting less value onto something that the world treasures.
‍

For example, according to Proverbs 17:1, we are to prefer "a dry morsel, and quietness therewith" more than a "house full of sacrifices with strife." In other words, we are to rather have a bite or small quantity of food as long as everyone present is at peace with each other, than to have a giant spread of the best steaks and delicious side dishes while being at odds with others! He also tells us to be "faithful in that which is least" because when we learn to tend to the small matters/things consistently, we will grow to become "faithful also in much." God told Gideon to dwindle his army down to a group of 300 men to combat another army that was much bigger! Jesus was much more pleased with the widow’s few mites than He was with the riches that the wealthy cast in out of their abundance. In Proverbs 22:1, we see that God would rather for us to prefer a good name than what the world has to offer—great riches!
‍

Here are a few quick thoughts on why we should prefer building a "good name" rather than our physical prosperity:
‍

We Honor God’s Name with It!‍

Psalm 106:8 says, "Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known." We are told here that God worked through the children of Israel for one purpose—to bring glory to His name! All the blessings, miracles, and accomplishments that God gave His children were for "His name's sake," that it "might make his mighty power to be known" among the world. The question is: are we honoring God's name by the name we possess today? May we be reminded that as saved people, we are God's ambassadors. We represent His name by the life we live.
‍

It’s What Those We Minister unto See!

‍There is a saying that goes something like this: “A follower’s Christianity will rarely exceed his leader’s spirituality!” Those that we serve and minister unto will see all that our name entails—our mannerisms, our response to certain situations, our convictions, etc. We see this play out in Paul’s life as he was giving his personal testimony before the king. After witnessing the testimony and persuasive boldness of Paul, he said, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian!” The name that Paul built for himself revolved around Christ! What does our name represent to others? If asked, how can our friends and others sum up the totality of our name?
‍

It’s What We Have to Offer to Our Family and Next Generation!

‍Who we are—instilled within our name—will be what we offer to our family. We won’t be able to “make up” a name for them—they will only see what we’ve already built up all these years. There is no faking a name with them!
‍

Our name will be the blueprint for the Christianity of the next generation. If we choose the “good name” that the Lord admonishes us to live after, then the next generation will seek the same. They will have the same appetites that we have!