Jul 27 2009
Who Do You Praise?
Pr 27:2 “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.”
I have been thinking about this verse lately. In a day and age which encourages us to self-esteem or tells us ‘It’s all about you!’, it is easy to praise ourselves. Furthermore, from our birth we seek independence, we seek self-gratification, we seek to be the center of our own universe - in other words, we seek to be God. One result of this natural bent is we seek glory. So, when we find ourselves patting our own backs, it does not come as a very big surprise.
However, as this verse points out, this is NOT to be a Christian’s attitude. We are to be humble. We are to glorify God. We are to have with a servant’s attitude, an attitude which says, “I am merely doing my duty, nothing more, please Lord, nothing less.”
I find I need to be reminded of this truth. Not that I tend to overtly praise myself, but we are all great at pointing the finger back at ourselves in subtle ways. We’ve all mastered the art of drawing attention to ourselves while feigning humility. If you are wondering what I am talking about, watch yourself. From my experience with my own heart and with the general public, I have seen two kinds of people. The ones who are vocally proud of themselves and the ones who are a little more subtle about their pride.
Thus this verse is a call to humility. A call to exercise a grace which is not only rare, but one which we use clumsily. For, even when we are honestly trying to be humble, we often manage to draw attention to ourselves. How frustrating!
However, recently I was struck with the thought - this is only half of a half of a verse. While humility is the part I have heard preached, encouragement is the other side. Maybe our unfamiliarity with the second half of the verse is mitigating our attempts to obey the first half. After all, the best way to NOT point the finger at ourselves is to be pointing it at someone else!
When we praise another, we encourage them. Thus our praise should be an attempt to encourage them in the right path. How soon we forget the old proverb, “Honey draws more flies than vinegar.” Especially those in authority.
We are quick to criticize and correct, but how quick are we to praise and encourage? It is hard to see our own faults, but we are incredibly tuned in to the faults of those close to us. It is easy to see our own ‘good deeds’, but we are dull of perception to the positive acts of those around us.
Furthermore, this verse says the lips of a stranger ought to be the ones praising us. Interesting! This takes the whole idea one step further. While there are numerous verses to spur us into the role of encourager to those around us, how often do we praise a stranger? A simple, ‘Thank You!’ Possibly a kind comment to the person who holds the door for us, to the young man or woman who offers to help us with our groceries, to the maid who cleans our motel room, to the waiter or waitress who serves our meal.
It isn’t hard. It only takes a little thought. However, in this day and age it is so rare, a few words of encouragement and a honest-to-goodness gracious attitude can go a LONG way toward showing the world we are different. And, in that way our lives honor and glorify our God - the One who deserves ALL the praise - and the One we praise far too seldom!
