2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Nehemiah 12:27-13:31 ESV, 1 Corinthians 11:1-16 ESV, Psalm 35:1-16 ESV, Proverbs 21:17-18 ESV
Daily Verse: “Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.” (1 Corinthians 11:2 ESV)
EPAINO (1867): “To applaud: commend, laud, praise.”[I]
Praise
Commending praises. Having a critical spirit comes easily, but praising others takes intention. Finding something wrong with a person doesn’t take much effort, but looking for something to cheer them on takes work. Gruffness on the outside can hide giant teddy bears on the inside.
Ron describes me as an M&M, hard shell but a soft heart. Single for the first 41 years of my life, I developed a protective layer. When people take advantage of your innocence, it hurts. Not wanting to experience the pain again, I created a defense mechanism, one my husband describes as crisp.
My husband looked past the hard shell and saw my heart. He didn’t try to take advantage of me; instead, Ron coaxed me out of my protective wall. Praising me for my goodness, Ron helped me overcome my past hurts.
Tell them.
Ron loves me like no one else ever has; he often tells me what he loves about me. Because he does, Ron helps me look at life differently. Crisp people need someone to look beneath the hard layer and nurture their soft hearts.
Tell people why you love them. Instead of focusing on the obvious faults, look for hidden goodness. Find the pureness in their hearts and draw it out in them. Only when we commend people can they begin to see themselves as God does.
Loving unconditionally, God knows everything about us, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Knowing our sins, Jesus came offering grace and mercy. Accepting His love, and finding forgiveness for our mistakes, gives us a new lease on life. When we do, we can share what we experience with others.
Find the good in people and tell them about it. Build people up with your words, even if it takes time and effort. Watching people blossom before your eyes will motivate you to love more, not less. Love from above fills our tanks, allowing us to share it with others.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 93) Thomas Nelson
