There are those who hate those who see clearly the flaws of others. When we love someone we love their whole self, warts and all.
Why do we not flatter or praise? We don't do that because God told us not to built up pride in someone. The need for correction is far more needed in these days.
Correction has the potential of helping someone to grow, it is far more valuable in our day than praise and flattery.
Praise and flattery has been overdone these days. When we praise and flatter it forces a person to dwell on their goodness which doesn't need fixing.
When I go to my husband to tell him about a leaky faucet I don't come in to the room praising all the good things about the faucet while ignoring the leak. I will go to him telling him about the leak that needs attention.
God warned us about the pitfalls of praise and flattery. It distracts those we love from needed repairs. The more flattery and praise someone receives the more pride arises that prevents the person from hearing the other flaws that need work.
We have lived in this culture a long time under the dilution that praise and flattery is encouragement.
Proverbs 29:5
"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."
Proverbs 28:23
"Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue."
1 Thessalonians 2:1-20
"For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. ..."
Encouragement is not praise and flattery, it is assistance in viewing things as they really are while providing a solution. When I am encouraging someone in their math problem, I might say, "that one looks right", but "that one needs work. I will not leave the focus on the right one, it needs no correction. I will focus on the one that needs work.
At the end of encouragement comes a better product, a better attitude and forward progress. When someone is more focused on being praised than on excellence in their work they will settle for a job that does not measure up to excellence as it should.
Most Christians today view themselves far more highly than they ought to, making rules God never made and demeaning those who do not follow their rules. And yet they are proud of how special they think they are in front of others.
Specialness is important to the modern Christian. To the born again believer there is no need to feel special because our eyes are on the One Who is special, that is Jesus Christ.
When our heart is on pleasing Christ there is no room or time for elevating self, in fact the idea of elevating self is repugnant to those who love Christ.
John 3:30
"30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Rebukes Teach
I am so sad that our grandchildren are being raised on self esteem and a play mentality. They are using all the popular psychological cliches of the past 40 years, all of which are unbiblical.
Proverbs 27:6
"6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
Proverbs 27:6
"6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
profuse are the kisses of an enemy."
You Might Not Be As Good As You Think! Think About It
I find it interesting that most people who say they are a good person really aren't when you look at the obvious things in their life. Even those in prison think they are basically good people. I guess they think all they have to do is say it and that makes it so, at least in their minds.
Sadly the entire culture has praised and flattered people into believing that if anyone comes along and exposes that they are not as good as they like to believe, it is the one who exposes who gets a beat down.
Yep, good is called bad and bad is called good now!
Sadly the entire culture has praised and flattered people into believing that if anyone comes along and exposes that they are not as good as they like to believe, it is the one who exposes who gets a beat down.
Yep, good is called bad and bad is called good now!
Is the Focus Christ or Just You
Notice this chart is based on human accomplishment not on Christ at all. When we as a culture base our goodness on our own activities we have lost perspective as to WHO is important. Perhaps if believers stop evaluating themselves on their own accomplishments and begin to see their sorry selves in truth, then they would begin to praise Christ for all He is and all He does. It is in knowing Christ intimately that we can be humbled while consulting Him rather than people for His will for us.
When the focus is ourselves it will never be Christ.
When the focus is ourselves it will never be Christ.
Where is Your Eternal Home?
We need to stop telling young people they can be anything they want. This is not only false but deceptive. A mentally challenged person cannot be all that they want, but they can be what
God made them. to be.
We need to begin telling young people to ask God what He wants them to be while teaching them to seek the Holy Spirit for guidance to that end.
I could never be an engineer, God never gave me a brain that can do all those complicated calculation. He did however give me an eye for color and shape that can be used in homemaking. I could never be something God never made me to be.
We live in a fantasy world of make believe, lying to children rather than helping them discern their own talents and gifts. So often the false encouragement merely tends to exasperate a child who is taught to fantasize about being famous and popular when showing them their own gifts based on reality would serve them much better. When we learn to enjoy how God made us we have peace and accomplishment.
The idea that we should manipulate a young person to believe they can be something that God never gave them talents for has will cause lethargy and discouragement. The devil loves to pretend that everyone can be a star just to watch them crash and burn when they do not achieve it.
If God calls us to be a street sweeper with a broom and dustpan then we can do it to His glory while enjoying the blessing of obedience to God. Its not about the job itself, its about or dedication to Christ that drives us to do our best with His help no matter what the job.
I am not impressed with "worldly accomplishment", my first question when someone brags about the job of another person is to ask, "are they born again." Because in the vast scheme of things that is all that matters.
One day those highly accomplished people will be going either to heaven or hell, God will not ask them how much money they made, who they knew or how much cherity they gave.
Matthew 7:21-23
"21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Some of the richest and most accomplished people are in hell right now and some that live now will also be there in the future. Let me add too that being poor is not a virtue either.
Those who were poor because they were lazy and selfish will also be in hell unless they have trusted Christ for salvation.
Bottom Line: Its not our status here on earth that will determine our eternal home.
God made them. to be.
We need to begin telling young people to ask God what He wants them to be while teaching them to seek the Holy Spirit for guidance to that end.
I could never be an engineer, God never gave me a brain that can do all those complicated calculation. He did however give me an eye for color and shape that can be used in homemaking. I could never be something God never made me to be.
We live in a fantasy world of make believe, lying to children rather than helping them discern their own talents and gifts. So often the false encouragement merely tends to exasperate a child who is taught to fantasize about being famous and popular when showing them their own gifts based on reality would serve them much better. When we learn to enjoy how God made us we have peace and accomplishment.
The idea that we should manipulate a young person to believe they can be something that God never gave them talents for has will cause lethargy and discouragement. The devil loves to pretend that everyone can be a star just to watch them crash and burn when they do not achieve it.
If God calls us to be a street sweeper with a broom and dustpan then we can do it to His glory while enjoying the blessing of obedience to God. Its not about the job itself, its about or dedication to Christ that drives us to do our best with His help no matter what the job.
I am not impressed with "worldly accomplishment", my first question when someone brags about the job of another person is to ask, "are they born again." Because in the vast scheme of things that is all that matters.
One day those highly accomplished people will be going either to heaven or hell, God will not ask them how much money they made, who they knew or how much cherity they gave.
Matthew 7:21-23
"21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Some of the richest and most accomplished people are in hell right now and some that live now will also be there in the future. Let me add too that being poor is not a virtue either.
Those who were poor because they were lazy and selfish will also be in hell unless they have trusted Christ for salvation.
Bottom Line: Its not our status here on earth that will determine our eternal home.
Our Value
Our value is not based on how much money we have or how much we have accomplished. It is not based on any rituals we practice or how much we give to the poor.
Romans 12:1-2 "1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."
Those who hold themselves in high esteem because of their accomplishments, appearances or rituals have forgotten that these things do not gain us heaven nor do they make us a better person.
2 Thessalonians 2:14-16 "…14 To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,…"
Only those traditions God gave us are of any value, all else is useless.
Perhaps we ought to stop attempting to make people proud of us and begin being humbled that God has saved us.
Romans 12:1-2 "1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God."
Those who hold themselves in high esteem because of their accomplishments, appearances or rituals have forgotten that these things do not gain us heaven nor do they make us a better person.
2 Thessalonians 2:14-16 "…14 To this He called you through our gospel, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm and cling to the traditions we taught you, whether by speech or by letter. 16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father, who by grace has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope,…"
Only those traditions God gave us are of any value, all else is useless.
Perhaps we ought to stop attempting to make people proud of us and begin being humbled that God has saved us.
Christ is the Value Within Us
Our value is not measured by how many people approve of us. It is valued by our devotion to Christ. And, there will not be many who value God so they will not value us either.
When we walk with God we repel those who love their sin, the tradition and themselves above all else.
The fool seeks to value himself, the wise man seeks to give God all the value and all the glory.
Proverbs 12:22 "…22 Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight. "
Proverbs 28:25 "…25 A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. 26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe."
When we walk with God we repel those who love their sin, the tradition and themselves above all else.
The fool seeks to value himself, the wise man seeks to give God all the value and all the glory.
Proverbs 12:22 "…22 Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight. "
Proverbs 28:25 "…25 A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. 26 He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe."
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