Hey, nice long comment! Thanks for your input. It about makes up for your lack of commenting in my journal. =D (Not that I don't understand how that you've been exceedingly busy, though.)
These thoughts are things that I've been considering recently. Whether it's all perfectly accurate or not, I'm not sure yet.
We should accept praise, but remain humble. That seems true enough, if accepting it means that we don't necessarily discount it. Yet, the thrust of what I was trying to say, is what you said next, "Ultimately the praise goes to God for giving you those abilities." We should ever be cognisant of that in order to help keep us humble, right? The moment we forget the all-important part that God plays, and the minor part that we play, is the moment we succumb to pride.
I think we should accept both praise and criticism in humility and in our hearts thank God for giving us those abilities. Right! We agree on this. At the same time, the giving of thanks to God is what I need to concentrate on, for receiving reasonable praise is not a problem. When one is complimented, the most important response is to thank and praise Him, not to feel good about yourself. I think we agree on that.
=) That is an interesting thought about Prov. 27:21. I just had to look up a commentator on it. Here's what one man said: "Praise tests character. '...a man to his praise'--according to his praise, as he bears it. Thus vain men seek it, weak men are inflated by it, wise men disregard it."
The idea I have is that when we receive any praise, we should desire God to be the One who is receiving the primary praise and us only secondarily -- as His workmanship given skills by Him. And, furthermore, our greatest delight should be in His praise and not our own.
These thoughts are things that I've been considering recently. Whether it's all perfectly accurate or not, I'm not sure yet.
We should accept praise, but remain humble. That seems true enough, if accepting it means that we don't necessarily discount it. Yet, the thrust of what I was trying to say, is what you said next, "Ultimately the praise goes to God for giving you those abilities." We should ever be cognisant of that in order to help keep us humble, right? The moment we forget the all-important part that God plays, and the minor part that we play, is the moment we succumb to pride.
I think we should accept both praise and criticism in humility and in our hearts thank God for giving us those abilities. Right! We agree on this. At the same time, the giving of thanks to God is what I need to concentrate on, for receiving reasonable praise is not a problem. When one is complimented, the most important response is to thank and praise Him, not to feel good about yourself. I think we agree on that.
=) That is an interesting thought about Prov. 27:21. I just had to look up a commentator on it. Here's what one man said: "Praise tests character. '...a man to his praise'--according to his praise, as he bears it. Thus vain men seek it, weak men are inflated by it, wise men disregard it."
The idea I have is that when we receive any praise, we should desire God to be the One who is receiving the primary praise and us only secondarily -- as His workmanship given skills by Him. And, furthermore, our greatest delight should be in His praise and not our own.
...if that makes any sense and is consistent...
Reply
Leave a comment