This week, Jonathan Cozart is our guest blogger.
This was a phrase that was popular when I was a teenager. Now that I’m 34, I hear it all the time among adults. I also happen to be in an industry where a publicly displayed image is always front of my mind. So I completely understand the sentiment. However, I think the question must be asked: “What does the Bible teach on this?”
For me, the mind automatically goes to how your self-image should align with your new nature in Christ. “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). Or how about, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT). Right on. Hallelujah, as a matter of fact.
But I don’t think that deals with the tension we all feel—or should feel—on this. What I’m really after is the wisdom behind a healthy public outward image. That you should care what other people think.
Let me first acknowledge that you’ll find plenty of opposite stories where God used negative or bizarre public images to drive home a point: Isaiah walking around naked, Hosea marrying a prostitute, John the Baptist as essentially a wild wilderness dweller.
Now let me share three verses to make sure we’re on the same page that this is a biblical idea in the first place:
- A church leader must not be a new believer, because he might become proud, and the devil would cause him to fall. Also, people outside the church must speak well of him so that he will not be disgraced and fall into the devil’s trap (1 Timothy 3:6-7 NLT).
- Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way (Titus 2:9-10 NLT).
- You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you” (Romans 2:23-24 NLT).
Hopefully, you can see there’s an expectation of behavior because you are a walking representative of the body of Christ.
Two main stories in the Bible show the ebb and flow of how the characters’ public opinion shapes the story and influences the outcome: Esther and Joseph. For the sake of length, I will only summarize the story of Joseph, highlighting this dynamic at play. There isn’t a single point I want the reader to take away, other than that safeguarding an effective image to others is worth it for the sake of the gospel.
The story of Joseph is usually taught as God rewarding patience or a lesson in divine sovereignty, but another theme at play is that your public image can dictate your life more than your individual actions. Your image can dictate your relational ties, your future, or your freedom.
At seventeen, Joseph was visible proof that he was his father’s favorite. Wearing a richly ornamented coat flaunted his position not only to his family but to anyone who saw him. It showed he was protected from labor and could even signal royalty. Not only did this rub his brothers the wrong way and deviate from cultural norms, but Joseph began to have dreams reaffirming his elevated status. He then told his brothers that his dreams were about him ruling over them.
That didn’t go over well. It kindled anger—and even murder—in his brothers’ hearts (except for Reuben, who wanted to rescue him later). In Reuben’s absence, the others sold Joseph into slavery. Judah said, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders” (Genesis 37:26-27 NLT). They then returned a bloody robe to their father, saying a wild animal had attacked Joseph.
Joseph was sold to Potiphar. Genesis says the Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant and put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned (Genesis 39:2-4 NLT).
God worked in this story, raising Joseph’s reputation to a trusted status. All this was lost when Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of assault after he rejected her advances. Protecting her own image, she got Joseph thrown into jail.
In jail, God worked to rebuild Joseph’s reputation. He became a favorite with the prison warden and was put in charge of the prisoners and everything that happened in the prison. This gave him the opportunity to interpret the dreams of two of Pharaoh’s officials who were thrown into jail. This reputation was remembered two years later when Pharaoh needed a dream interpreted. Joseph was right on those interpretations.
Joseph was then placed in charge of the entire land of Egypt because his reputation was now that of a man obviously filled with the Spirit of God. With a reputation that could not be tarnished, he was tested. He could have enacted retribution on his brothers, but instead he forgave—clearing the accounts, so to speak. Not only the brotherly love he was owed, but also the physical account for the food being taken back to his family.
How this story closes is that Joseph used his reputation and position to bring all the descendants of Israel to Egypt to survive the famine and flourish. Later, when Joseph died, he was given a burial of the highest honor, being embalmed and mummified.
I hope you can see how this story really revolves around people’s reputations—both the protection from the loss of and the hand of God working behind the scenes to make it flourish. Joseph, through the whole story, followed the Holy Spirit. He also never did anything to intentionally manipulate his reputation one way or another—caring about his reputation without compromising it.
Questions of Reflection:
- In what specific scenario this past week were you most conscious of your "public outward image"? Did that consciousness lead you toward an action that glorified God or one that felt hypocritical?
- We are "walking representatives of the body of Christ." If someone who did not know God observed your behavior, social media feed, and general conduct for one week, what "reputation" would they conclude about the God you follow?
- Consider the example of the rich robe Joseph wore: it flaunted his status and caused anger. Are there any visible markers of your current lifestyle (possessions, a specific attitude, a social circle) that might be inadvertently signaling pride or exclusivity to others?
- The story of Joseph shows that God worked to rebuild his reputation after it was tarnished by others. How does knowing that God can restore a reputation affect your current anxiety about maintaining a perfect public image?
Written By: Jonathon Cozart
