You’re Good . . . Really Good
“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives.” (Proverbs 27:21)
Confession time. At one point in my life, what I wanted most in the world was to be James Bond. Yes, it had a lot to do with the fact that he was always cool under pressure while saving the world. And he had all those awesome gadgets. (I’m a sucker for gadgets.) And the babes couldn’t wait to get their hands on him after just one glance. Very few fictional characters could make a 12 year old want to wear a tux.
But honestly, part of the appeal was that one Bond song: “Nobody does it better. Nobody does it quite the way you do.” At the time, I was mostly oblivious to the sexual connotations. I just wanted people to think I was the best . . . at anything! I wanted someone to say that to me about math or basketball or being funny or killing colorful villains. I was a sucker for praise, not just gadgets. The thought of being Bond appealed to my pride.
Okay, that’s not a huge confession. We all want to be praised and admired and honored. It’s normal. But the Bible tells us over and over and over again that God cares about what’s going on in our hearts as much as He cares about the actual choices we make. You might be doing a lot of good things, but God is looking past the “what” to the “why.”
That’s why praise is a test. Usually, we think of tests as being hard things. Will we keep trusting God when we’re broke or sick or lonely? Those can be hard tests. But praise is a motives test. When people say things like, “You’re the best on the team.” Or, “You are so smart; how do you know all that stuff?” Or, “Has anyone told you you’re really beautiful?” -- our response tells us what matters most to us. Do I collect compliments like little statues for the trophy case in my heart? If I start depending on those praiseworthy “strengths” to get me through life, the impure arrogance in me is revealed.
On the other hand, if praise jabs me into thanking God for His power, His gifts, and the abilities He gives me, the test exposes some actual gold in my motives. “Wow, that person thinks I’m really good; God is so amazing to allow me to do well at this thing.” Sounds unnatural, doesn’t it? Not the kind of thing you'd hear in a rap song. But remember what God wants most from us -- to be needy for Him, to realize we’re less than nothing without Him, to trust Him more. Because of what my heart kicks out in response, praise is a test of how much I’m leaning on Him and how much I’m trusting in me .
It takes courageous humility to turn praise for me into praise for God. But who really wants to wear a tux, anyway? Nobody does anything better than Him, after all.
Confession time. At one point in my life, what I wanted most in the world was to be James Bond. Yes, it had a lot to do with the fact that he was always cool under pressure while saving the world. And he had all those awesome gadgets. (I’m a sucker for gadgets.) And the babes couldn’t wait to get their hands on him after just one glance. Very few fictional characters could make a 12 year old want to wear a tux.
But honestly, part of the appeal was that one Bond song: “Nobody does it better. Nobody does it quite the way you do.” At the time, I was mostly oblivious to the sexual connotations. I just wanted people to think I was the best . . . at anything! I wanted someone to say that to me about math or basketball or being funny or killing colorful villains. I was a sucker for praise, not just gadgets. The thought of being Bond appealed to my pride.
Okay, that’s not a huge confession. We all want to be praised and admired and honored. It’s normal. But the Bible tells us over and over and over again that God cares about what’s going on in our hearts as much as He cares about the actual choices we make. You might be doing a lot of good things, but God is looking past the “what” to the “why.”
That’s why praise is a test. Usually, we think of tests as being hard things. Will we keep trusting God when we’re broke or sick or lonely? Those can be hard tests. But praise is a motives test. When people say things like, “You’re the best on the team.” Or, “You are so smart; how do you know all that stuff?” Or, “Has anyone told you you’re really beautiful?” -- our response tells us what matters most to us. Do I collect compliments like little statues for the trophy case in my heart? If I start depending on those praiseworthy “strengths” to get me through life, the impure arrogance in me is revealed.
On the other hand, if praise jabs me into thanking God for His power, His gifts, and the abilities He gives me, the test exposes some actual gold in my motives. “Wow, that person thinks I’m really good; God is so amazing to allow me to do well at this thing.” Sounds unnatural, doesn’t it? Not the kind of thing you'd hear in a rap song. But remember what God wants most from us -- to be needy for Him, to realize we’re less than nothing without Him, to trust Him more. Because of what my heart kicks out in response, praise is a test of how much I’m leaning on Him and how much I’m trusting in me .
It takes courageous humility to turn praise for me into praise for God. But who really wants to wear a tux, anyway? Nobody does anything better than Him, after all.
1 Comments:
When I have worn I suit, I felt awkward: some people treat me with some new kind of respect and attention when I am dressed up. I do enjoy that feeling, that exhilaration of being noticed. I can only hope that "the treatment" will last long enough for my excitement to testify to others through my expressions that there is something different about me more significant than my new outfit and haircut. That is not always easy, and its often hard.
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