Affirmation
Hey…who doesn’t like a little affirmation?! We all do. It’s nice when someone says to you, “You are really exceptional at your job.” Or “You are a very good parent.” Or “You are a very discerning person.” Yeah…we all like affirmation.
Now…some would say that makes us egotistical…arrogant and self-centered. If fact…I’ve been told by some that the need for affirmation grows out of our sinful nature. I couldn’t disagree more! In fact…I believe our need for affirmation grows out of the reality that we’ve been created in the image of God. He demands worship…His very nature demands adoration and praise. Our need for affirmation comes from an image-bearing gene passed on to us when He formed us in His likeness. The problem arises when we take what is a plus and turn it into a mountain of manure. There is healthy affirmation…and then there is narcissistic ego-centric craving.
Adam and Eve demonstrated the downside of this truth. Remember…they had no sinful nature. So any desires in them that could go wrong would not result from a sinful nature; but rather would grow out of mutating the holy gene of affirmation coming from God’s touch on their lives.
Satan told Eve if she ate of the forbidden fruit she would be like God…and that sounded appealing to her. He was affirming her in wrong behavior…and she allowed that affirmation to take her down a wrong road. You see…she was already like God…created in His image. She was perfect…but subject to flaws as history shows. Satan convinced her she should take what was already complete and good and improve on it. Nothing like fruit to make us healthier! It sounded like the way to go. But when she turned her attention from God to self, it resulted in the fall of humanity. She decided to take the wheel in her journey with God.
You see, her human nature was her pitfall. Human nature was never meant to function independently of God. Whenever we attempt to go down a road we believe will do more for us than what God would do, we are mimicking Adam and Eve’s sin. The sinful nature with which we were born, only compounds a weakness already present…our human nature. When I surrender to Christ and allow Him to transform my sinful nature, and fill me with His Spirit…that doesn’t mean I’m out of the woods and can’t sin…far from it. If I allow any kind of affirmation to go to my head and then pass onto my ego, instead of going to my heart and then pass on to God…I will fall. You can count on it.
When we accept affirmation…with gratitude…giving God the praise for whatever trait has been complimented; we are acknowledging God’s gift in us and giving him the credit for it. In addition, we have just tasted a small portion of what fills the heart of God when He is worshipped and praised by us. Instead of allowing people’s affirmations to massage our egos in an unhealthy manner, we can accept their kind words as praise to God. We are not remotely worthy of Holy praise or Divine worship…but neither are we wrong when we recognize God’s creativity in ourselves and others and offer kind, affirming words and accept the same – not for the purpose of giving someone a big head, but for the purpose of affirming them as God’s creation and one who is putting God’s gifts to work. When you learn to navigate the compliments that come your way, it shows you’re learning to acknowledge God in your life.
By the way…kudos to you for reading all the way through this.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
