By Bill Frisbie, Elijah House Spiritual Director
Is it hard for you to accept compliments? When someone says something good about you or your work, do you get embarrassed and make jokes or disparage yourself in some way?
When people give us compliments, in many cases this is actually the Lord letting us know He is fond of us. His affection is frequently at the foundation of others’ praise. Heaven is telling us good things about who we are—things we need to know.
If our response is to reject the compliment, we are inadvertently sidestepping or putting off what God is trying to communicate.
Seeing His Beauty
There is a place in the kingdom of God where His children are complimented because of His beauty. The Bible says Jesus increased in wisdom, stature, and favor (Luke 2:52). Just as God increased those things in His Son, He increases them in us as well, and they will eventually become visible to the people around us. Those people could, in turn, give us compliments—because their hearts are moved at the sight of God’s beauty.
When someone praises us, even if we feel their praise is undeserved, we get to turn to the Lord and pray with a childlike heart, “Lord, I appreciate this, and I value it and the person who said it. I recognize that the good this person sees is flowing out of Your life within me. Thank You for making Yourself visible in me.”
Undeserved Honor
Finally, sometimes the Lord just wants to love on us and give us things that seem way, way out of our league. Are we okay if He wants to honor us more than we feel like we deserve? Are we okay with the way our heavenly Father treasures us—even if He speaks well of us and promotes us above and beyond anything we expected?
It is true that some people try to manipulate with flattery, but when a compliment is sincere, we need to learn how to receive it well—as the blessing our Father intends it to be. We are dearly loved, and He says good things about us. We worship Him as we accept His words.
If you feel uncomfortable with the idea of Father God pouring out His love and affection on you, you may want to check out the Elijah House School of Heart Healing. You were made for your Father's love, so if it is hard for you to receive it, there could be a heart wound that needs healing. The school doesn't just train people to be prayer counselors, but it gives students valuable tools that help them recognize lies, vows, negative expectations, etc. that are keeping them bound up. Click here to learn more.