Whether I am doing something in order to receive praise, or I am just proud of what I have
accomplished - Sometimes I find myself making statements that encourage others to give me compliments. If we are honest with ourselves, I think we've all done this in some way or another.
What does God think about it?
"Not with eye-service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart." Ephesians 6:6
"Not with eye-service, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord not unto men." Colossians 3:22-23
Let's take a minute to define a few words mentioned in these verses...
Eye-service: denotes service only preformed under the master's eye, diligently preformed when he is looking, but neglected in his absence.
Menpleasers: an adjective signifying studying to please men, "not simply one who is pleasing to men, but one who endeavors to please men and not God."
I don't know about you, but these definitions help me get a better understanding of these verses. Paul writes about some very important things in these verses
1) Be diligent even when nobody is watching
2) Don't work only to please man
He concludes that if we are servants unto the Lord, we should serve Him sincerely from the heart.
When I am doing the will of God sincerely, He is the only one that I need to please. His expectations are the only ones that I need to meet.
Another thing was brought to my attention while reading the definition of eye-service. When we make God our master, we are held accountable by Him. God is always watching. Proverbs 15:3 says, "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."
Does this mean that it is a bad thing to be complimented by people? I would say that the answer to that question is no. Compliments show that people recognize who we are and what we do. We just need to be careful to not make them our only motive for doing something.
My friend and I were just having a conversation about this topic the other night...
Kevin: It helps to be encouraged, Ang. That's why it's good to surround yourself with Christians, because they see the good God sees. Think about what they said, and who it's coming from. Different people recognize different qualities.
Even If I do enjoy hearing compliments about me and my work, I have always had trouble accepting them. I need to work on the mind-set that I don't deserve positive feedback.
Note to Self: Not everyone who gives you a compliment is lying, misguided, or feeling sorry for you.
Great post, love your thoroughness with explaining the verses. Keep up the good wooooork.
ReplyDeleteThis topic is something everyone should work through. There are many reasons why people have a hard time accepting compliments... but your security should always come from the fact that God has chosen you to work through. Philippians 1:6 says "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." If we understand where our talents and gifts come from, then we will always know that those who colpiment you are really complimenting the gift God gave you and you can steer it back for HIS glory!
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