According to Proverbs 22:1, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” A new university study statistically supports this truth.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Florida conducted an online survey to explore the value Americans place on reputation and honor. High percentages said they would choose incarceration, amputation or even death over a bad reputation.

In one hypothetical question, respondents chose between two options: spending a year behind bars but emerging without a criminal reputation, or skipping the jail term but having others think of them as a criminal. Forty percent chose incarceration.

In another scenario, 70 percent said they would choose surgical amputation of their dominant hand over having a prominent swastika facial tattoo.

More than half of respondents (53 percent) said they would rather die now with a good reputation than live into their 90s with people falsely believing they are a child molester.

Many would even sacrifice their lives to preserve their honor after death. About 30 percent of respondents said they would rather die now than live a long life with a good reputation but have false rumors about being a pedophile surface posthumously.

Church leaders must call their congregations to distinguish between God’s standards and social standards.

The research team also conducted laboratory experiments in which they administered tests to white students, leading them to believe they were measuring their degree of implicit racism. They then gave students the option of having their test scores revealed to the entire school or placing a hand in near-freezing water until they could no longer endure the pain.

About 63 percent of students who “tested” high for racism said they would go through the painful experience to avoid having their reputation damaged. By comparison, just 9 percent of those with low racism scores were willing to subject themselves to pain to maintain anonymity.

Other studies have revealed similar findings. During a recent World Values Survey that polled thousands of people across 100 countries, respondents ranked moral reputation as more important than all non-moral priorities other than security.

In the large-scale poll, the desire to avoid “doing anything people would say is wrong” was nearly as important as “living in secure surroundings.” Maintaining a perception of morality outweighed the desire to be rich or successful, live an exciting life, have a good time or do things one’s own way.

Peer pressure is powerful, and the desire to have a good reputation is biblical. When peer pressure promotes decency and fairness, for example, it’s a good thing. Of course, peer pressure can also encourage negative behaviors, and the Bible clearly teaches that what is popular isn’t always what’s right (Proverbs 14:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-5).

In today’s world, people are often publicly shamed on social media for being out of sync with cultural norms. Christians should care about living in a way that is morally above reproach.

However, church leaders must call their congregations to distinguish between God’s standards and social standards. And where the two diverge, people need to hear that God’s way is the way that leads to life — even when it means losing social status or popular approval.