I have been mulling Proverbs lately. I just can't seem to get enough. There are definite themes that pop up over and over. Don't be a fool, respect your parents, work hard and steer clear of skanky women.
Something grabbed my eye this morning.
21 Fire tests the purity of silver and gold,
but a person is tested by being praised.
Proverbs 27:21 (NLT)
It is interesting to see how people respond to the two poles, criticism and praise. So much character is revealed in those two moments. Often we focus on response to criticism as character defining.
Here is what Jesus did -
17As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
Mark 10:17-18 (NIV)
18"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone.
Do I redirect praise to the one who truly deserves it? Or do I keep it, put it in my pocket and use it for fuel. If being praised is our fuel then we will serve ourselves. Following Jesus means being fueled by praise of Him.
5 comments:
good word
Interesting. I agree that we should not seek praise. I also don't think we should find our value in praise.
I have found in certain church circles, that "redirecting" praise to God has become almost cliche and sometimes appears to me to be false humility. If I applaud someone or praise something they've done, a simple "Thank-you" is sufficient.
In this verse do you really think Jesus was saying He wasn't good? Because we all know He was. Perhaps He was saying "all My goodness comes from God"... Or was Jesus merely trying to challenge the man's thinking, to get him to see Jesus not only as teacher, but as God?
I would like to come up with a way to recieve the praise of others while at the same time acknowledging God as source of anything good in me.
Just thinking out loud.
Yes, Jesus is getting at something much greater here than just point to God, the Father. It came to my mind as an example of an instance when Jesus was praised, which of course he is absolutely worthy of, and rather than a simple thank you he took stirred up much deeper things.
I have had those terribly cheesy, inauthentic and falsely humble conversations as well. We see right through those. There must be a way to credit Jesus for his work. Because, let's face it, we all know that any good in us or through us is his work anyway.
I will say that we all need encouragement. I know I do.
I guess I know that I have opperated in the past on the fuel of praise. I just never want to follow the voice of man instead of the voice of Jesus. And in loving the praise of people we can get pulled of trajectory.
Notice also that in Proverbs it does not say praise is good or bad. It says character is revealed in praise.
Thanks for the feedback.
good stuff,
I have caught myself redirecting praise trying to be humble or what not and realizing later that the redirection was still a self serving act. Just making myself more confortable at that moment unintentionally and not consciously pointing to God.
thanks for the food for thought.
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